Zutara: A Disaster In The Making
by hefloandizzy
Summary: What happens when you find the one you love? That's what both Zuko and Katara have found in each other. They'll do anything to reunite after they're seperated. Even if it means facing death itself. Major twists and plot bunnies, so enjoy! Modern Zutara AU
1. First Conflict

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own any characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor do we own the show. We're simply writers manipulating them for our own twisted, fictitious use.**

Giving a long, weary sigh, Katara kicked the door shut as she walked into her apartment. It had been a long day, but she was finally home, at least for a little while. All was calm as she flicked on a light.

She dropped her purse by the door and rotated her shoulder blades and did various stretches. With her hands outstretched above her head, she yawned. Earlier on her way home, she stopped and picked up some errands at the corner store. Tonight, she was going to have breakfast for dinner. You could never go wrong with cereal. After that, she would jump into a nice, steamy shower, throw on a clean set of clothes and have a half hour before she left for her next job. Come back home, shower up, drop down exhausted on her bed. Sometimes she never even made it to bed, but camped out on the couch. And other nights, she wouldn't even have the slightest clue why she ended up in the wrong bedroom in the wrong bed.

This was her basic schedule five days a week.

She hated it.

Trying not to make herself depressed, she steered her thoughts in another direction. She knew that she wasn't anywhere close to living in her dream house, but she could dream about it during the years it took to save up for it. There would be a fantastic view, a spectacular room useful mostly to just lounge in, a two layer ceiling in a comfortable room that could slide open so you had a view of the stars through crystal clear glass, a giant bathroom that had a spa big enough to swim in… Just thinking about it made her happier. It would be silly of her to tell herself she'd be one day to afford it—her dream house would be one with a price tag of multiple zeros behind the first few digits. Even if it was a childish fantasy, it made her feel better to hope.

Minutes later, she had stripped down and stepped under the running water. Steam surrounded her, fogging up the glass. Closing her eyes, she let the tension roll away. If only for ten minutes, life was good.

Katara felt great.

By the time she had dried off, she had a smile on her face.

Tonight would be over in no time.

--

Of all the places that she just had to work, why she didn't just pack her bags and move on? Oh. That's right. This was the only one available. That and the fact that it was the only one that had the kind of pay she had in mind.

She also had the kind of job her brother hated. Somehow, she had found herself being put in a clingy back outfit and waiting on other people. Waterfalls, chandeliers, exotic foliage that bloomed year round, romantic-candle-lit tables, foreign-barely-able-to-understand chefs (who couldn't cook if their lives depended on it...), and a boss whom she'd never met…. The list went on and on. Katara didn't even want to know how much money the owner had invested in this exquisite place. If she'd asked, the answer would probably be more then she'd ever see in her life. Either someone either had a bad case of OCD, or oodles of cash. Probably both. It was a place people dined at when they had a broad amount of money. If she wasn't an employee, she probably couldn't even afford to use the classy bathrooms

Tugging her necklace, she heaved a sigh.

Walking around tables and dodging other waiters and waitresses, she had ferried dishes to and fro. Some of the single meals of food she served probably cost as much as she made in one night, perhaps more. Another thing her meager pay couldn't cover. Well, the job paid well enough, but the bills her life style had — along with shopaholic brothers — kept her managing the budget as close as could it came.

Ugh. It made her angry that people could throw money around like that. Rich people lived in one world, and the rest of the crowd lived in another. It was unfortunate she was the responsible one in her small family. With her savings, if either she or one of them had problems, she lends them the money but have to pay for it in the end. They paid her back fully in their own way, but it wasn't the same.

"We've got a situation, Katara."

Katara jumped at the closeness of the sudden voice.

The taller figure behind her had a sheepish grin. His eyes were fixed on hers, filled with something she didn't recognize. His brows were furrowed and his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Confused, Katara frowned.

"Aang, what's wrong?"

Grabbing her wrist, he led her to a secluded alcove. She had to crane her neck to keep his gaze, and smiled at the irony. There had been a time when she and Aang were twelve and ten, both still at eye level. When they had been growing up, Aang had become a brother to her — he had actually been adopted into her family.

"Shang just quit. He turned a funny red color and threw a knife at the poor new guy. Good thing he ducked though, or else he might be in a serious need of medical attention." Pausing, Aang heaved a frustrated sigh. "Katara, more half of staff walked out with him, how are we going to manage? There's only three in the kitchen, six serving, me, you, no chef, and a lawsuit waiting to happen."

She could hear the hushed voices drifting around it the muted light. It appeared that the customers were completely unaware, happily dinning on their entrees and meals as they chatted over bread and wine with fancy names she couldn't pronounce. Blue eyes wandered towards the entrance, where the two new girls were chatting animatedly, unaware of their settings as well. High school drop outs, one training to do hair, the other makeup. The duo had come together to get jobs, and hired to work the same tasks. No one else wanted that job.

Another thought crossed her mind.

"Please tell me there's someone manning the bar."

His gray eyes widened.

Katara felt the color drain from her face.

A few of their regulars were intense drinkers. More than not, they could be found sitting or lounging near or on the bar, with shot glasses littered about them. One or two were also desperate enough to pick up a bottle or two and guzzle it down, making the penalty even worse. Aang was the main bartender, and although he did his job well, there was still the chance of him making a mistake that could get him sued or fired. Knowing the outcome, either or both could happen.

Though they had never met their boss, they had heard rumors of him. One rumor hinted that he wasn't much older than Katara. Another went along the lines of him being one of the wealthiest bachelors alive. Both probably true, she didn't doubt it. If someone could afford this kind of up keeping bill, they had to have serious money to spare. As great as this restaurant was, this was the only one of its kind. No franchise, no chain of restaurants, just this one.

A small thing Katara wondered was — what was his name? Not many people seemed to know, and most people just called him "Boss" or "The Man". Some other males even called him "The Big Guy." You understand who they're talking about after a week of working at "The Boss's Place". That was what the regular workers called it. The new ones picked up quickly because it was the only thing they could do.

There was just one thing that ran odd about the Boss's story for Katara. She had heard gossip in the changing rooms occasionally. It was hard to tell if it was true or false. He (supposedly) lived in seclusion, and (supposedly) hadn't been seen by the public eye in nearly four years. Then why did he have such a busy restaurant? Surely he kept up with it. Why start something this involved if he would just sit back and hide away? What sane, rich bachelor would do that?

Katara realized she had zoned off into space, and as she looked into a pair of silvery gray eyes, she realized the seriousness of the current situation.

"Go find someone to handle the bar then go gather up the people that we still have. Meet me back in the kitchen in ten minutes. Got it?"

"Got it," he nodded, before swiftly heading off.

"Good," Katara sighed. Stupid Murphy's Law.

--

Katara watched as the last of the guests left. Seconds passed as she turned to look at the other workers. Grinning from ear to ear, they smiled at one another.

"We did it." Aang grinned. "We actually did it!"

Katara laughed as he threw his arms around her. Katara returned the hug as she breathed her relief.

With only eight employees still remaining, they'd held a meeting in the kitchen. A quick pep talk and a basic plan later, she and her coworkers had split up and manned their stations. To anyone else, it would seem that nothing was out of the usual. The food was even delivered in the same time as normal. Katara had never in her life tried to do something along those lines. Of course, this was probably the only time in her life she would. When Aang had walked back in the kitchen with dirty dishes, her wide eyes had been filled with disbelief.

One person had told him to pass it along to Chief Shang that his food was excellent, that he'd outdone himself tonight. Once hearing that, Katara had whistled. Nobody had noticed the difference. Katara had taken place of the terrible chef, working her butt off trying not only to cook, but to keep her cool. Aang also showed her a tip that made her jealous. She wondered who could have possibly lost common since to give Aang that much money. A hundred bucks to be definite. She knew exactly what he would do with it too. Worthless stuff was bound to find its way in her apartment if anymore extra cash went through his hands.

Katara vaguely heard the others chat about their night. She still couldn't believe that they had gotten away with it. She sent a smile when two tried to start a conversation, but had shook her head when they had tried to get her to talk. Her body whirled with exhaustion, both mentally and physically.

His silver eyes sparkled as she plopped down on a seat. A substitute took Aang's place behind the bar, nodding understandingly. Aang, along with three other people stood in the kitchen with her, haphazardly doing the best they could. The other three were taking turns serving and showing people to their tables.

Both of them had been in over their heads as they had worked side by side in the kitchen, sweat and tears and all that junk. Yeah, right. Katara was covered with all sorts of various ingredients. The only place unscathed was the kitchen itself. She'd made a mess, but she and Aang had cleaned like there was no tomorrow — which right now, they didn't quite know about.

This night was one that would always be remembered as justified and self inflicted misery. It had been a miracle that her grandmother had forced them both to learn how to survive on their own. While Aang had never been one for cooking, he still made delicious dishes that Katara had trouble figuring out. Her interest of food ran more along the sweets, but she knew how to make plenty of other things that Aang had almost blown up her apartment's tiny kitchen with. What one lacked in one area, one hopeful made it up in another.

Shaking her head, she gave a soft chuckle. After tomorrow, it would be a miracle if they still had their jobs. Two more of her coworkers had walked out when the stress of improbability had proved to be too much. At least it had been the new ones, they weren't as important as the ones that stayed. Each person that did stay, she'd known as long as she'd been working there. But there was no way only eight of them could handle a bistro as big as this for much longer.

Katara whispered, "You know that someone's going to be the unlucky one."

"Unlucky?" His smile shrank back a little. His blue tattoos glistened; shadows flickered beneath the low light setting.

Katara shook her head.

"The Boss is gonna find out sometime."


	2. New Faces

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own any characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor do we own the show. We're simply writers manipulating them for our own twisted, fictitious use.**

Sitting her behind on a couch, she gazed longingly at the happy couple. Two of her coworkers had been seeing each other for a couple of months now, every week becoming more intense and in-depth. When she'd first heard about it, she had been surprised. These two were as opposite as they got, and had hated each other at first sight. Overtime, they learned to get along. What sparked the change was a mystery to Katara. One day they looked ready to tear one another to shreds, the next, cuddling and smiling, despite the occasional quarrels. Hopefully, a wedding would be in nearby future. It didn't matter if she was right, but a suspicion most likely to happen. Something special flared between them as the two exhausted lovers kissed, the air sparked with anticipation. Still with an arm around the other, laughter floated behind them as they disappeared from view, leaving only a slight draft and a fading bell.

She watched through the windows as the rest of her coworkers left. Still standing at a meager force of eight, they had waited until last night to notify the big man. Hey, when money went on the line, they wasted no time to draw out and suck up. If anything, her coworkers had less than her and worked two jobs. In any explanation — they all needed the money. It had been almost four days until the call was made. The game was up, and now they waited for the Boss to decide what to do next. She was just grateful she hadn't been the one to pick up the phone and dial the number.

The latest dressing room gossip was that the Big Guy had a temper. Who knew? Katara thought he was incognito or something, but he could've just as well been someone she saw at the grocery store the other day. No, he was probably too rich for that. The Guy probably had someone do his own shopping for him. He probably didn't do a lot normal people did – grocery shop, laundry, dishes… It would have been nice, if only for a little while, to have someone dependable to do things for you. She watched the happy couple walk away, still grinning.

Looking away, Katara pulled her cell phone from her pocket.

On the screen, a blinking light flashed at the top — one new message.

Not right now. Sokka needed to learn how to clean his own stinky socks. If he wanted someone else to clean them for him, he should go ask his girlfriend. Suki would learn just how bad her brother's laundry got if she didn't already know. Katara would never understand what the girl saw in him.

Not feeling quite ready to return to her apartment, she decided to stay a little while longer. She was the only one left. Tonight she would have to close up, perhaps make the long way home to find another job. Sure, there were tons of other jobs besides this one, but not many paid half as well, and she didn't feel like working two or three part time jobs.

Sighing, she took a peek at her phone. A lot of times she'd be on her way home by now. Her phone blinked annoyingly, and the words '1 New Message' kept scrolling across her screen in pixilated letters.

Aang was at home. Well, at least she hoped so. Two days ago, she had noticed him trying to let it slip by her, but she knew a sick cough when she heard one. So taking his temperature, she had gone from best friend, to overly-protective big sister. There was no way he was coming to work with a fever, no matter how much he might want to, she was keeping a firm 'no'. Another day of rest, and he'd be as good as new. Katara knew she was a good healer. Anyone who didn't know and asked her would think she was conceited, but rather it was a fact. Too bad she didn't feel like taking eight years of college to be a doctor.

Shoving the phone back in her pocket, she stood up and went to the supply closet. Picking up a few things, she went back to work as she cleaned the tables.

Pulling out her iPod, she pulled up a playlist and put on her earphones. Music filled her ears, giving her a contentment she had desperately needed. Turning it louder, she sang along. She swayed to the melody, cleaning and keeping time. Time flew as she lost herself in the harmony. Happiness filled her heart, if only for a small time, making her voice feel light and honey coated.

Her pocket vibrated as one of the songs ended. Talk about perfect timing. Pausing her iPod, she yanked out her earphones.

"Hello?"

She heard a muted cough before a voice answered.

"Katara, care to tell me why my throat feels like it's on fire and my head is pounding?"

With that, she frowned. "Where are you, Sokka?"

"At home in bed, with a hurting tummy that won't stop hurting—_Kataraaa,"_ he whined," fix it."

"I get the point, Sokka. Hey, when was the last time you saw Aang?" Katara rubbed her temple as she used her free hand to clean off a table—the last one until she could return the supplies, and lock up for the night.

A moment passed as her older sibling thought out his answer. "He called me up yesterday and asked for a ride. We were out for an hour or two, we went out for a snack and I brought him back."

Holding the phone away from her ear, she waited for the coughing to subside.

Katara groaned. Now she had two sick people in her already busy hands. And now Aang was busted, because he wasn't supposed to be out. At all. For once, useless Sokka helps his sister.

Sokka let out a quiet string of curses as it clicked. Concern filled his voice as he asked, "How's Aang?"

Katara blew out a frustrated sigh. At least her family cared for each other, right? "I'd have to actually have him in front of me to tell you that. Give me five minutes, and I'll be heading out that way."

Question answered, Katara heard something being shuffled from the other and of the line.

"If you wait, I can see to your aching belly too. All your troubles will be forgotten, I promise."

"Really, sis?"

"Really."

"Even my dream of having all the mushrooms and meat I could possibly want?"

Katara stared at her phone. Where did her brother get these ideas? The only time he usually talked like that was after he had energy drinks – which you shouldn't be drinking of you're sick. Perplexed, she gave a half hearted laugh. Her days almost always got a little more interesting when Sokka called.

"Sokka?"

"Yes?" he answered sweetly.

If he had any common sense, he'd stay still until she got up there.

"Grow up." And with that, she ended the conversation.

--

The next morning, she whimpered as sunlight streamed into her room. She tried to pull the covers over her head, but couldn't. Still half asleep, she looked bleary eyed for her sheets. They were balled up in the corner of her room, along with a pile of clothing.

"Morning, sleepy head."

"Go away."

Male laughter rumbled above her as she blinked the sleep form her eyes. She threw her pillow at the offending person as she rolled over.

Then she got pushed out of bed as movement rattled her mattress, her leg stinging as she sat up.

Now awake, she glared at him.

Jumping up and down like a little kid, he watched her. Gray eyes filled with amusement and his grin bright. With nothing but his orange pajama bottoms, he flapped his arms in the air as he jumped to the floor, dropping to his knees, to stare at her eyes level.

"It's too late to still be in bed, Katara," Aang said, "Oh, and by the way. Suki called. She wants you to call her back."

Katara watched him as he picked up the laundry basket and walked through the door.

She gave a loud yawn as she groggily stood up. Placing one foot in front of the other, she forced herself to follow Aang. Humming, he grinned as she sat down at their dining table. Bright and dull clothing piled up near the doorway. Last night, mounds of dirty dishes had filled the tiny kitchen sink. Now, they were nowhere to be seen. And the place had been straightened up neatly. Glancing around, she frowned, disbelieving at the fact she hadn't nagged him for once. Aang handed her the phone, then went to get her a glass of water, still humming. Before calling, she set the phone down.

"Alright, what's going on?"

Giving her a sly grin, Aang shook his head. His skin held a healthy flush to it. That was good news. At least she didn't have to worry over him anymore.

"You've been too good to me, Katara. This is just my way of saying thanks." He patted her head as her fingers closed around the cool glass.

She raised it to her lips and drank, relishing the clean fresh water slid down her throat. Since when did flavorless water taste so good? Katara stared at the phone lying on the counter. With a sigh, she realized that it was now or never. Suki picked up on the first ring.

"Katara?"

"Hmm? Good morning, Suki."

"Is there a chance you could do a huge favor for me? I promise I'll pay you back."

Katara leaned back in the chair as she listened to her brother's girlfriend. A few minutes passed as they chatted. Katara had met Suki back in high school, when both of them had been freshmen. It was through Katara that Suki had become Sokka's girlfriend. It wasn't long after that, that she and Suki had become close friends, though they seldom got the chance to spend much time together.

Grabbing a pen and paper, she jotted down a list on the back side of an empty envelope. Hanging up with another sigh, she gave the list a once over.

This could take a while.

--

It had taken her four hours to fetch Suki's errands and drop them off at her brother's apartment. When the door opened, Suki had given her a quick hug before dragging her in. There on the couch, was a satisfied lump in the middle of existence. Her brother had a giant platter of food placed in his lap and a giant soda in his hand, remote laying on the cushions ready and waiting for his boredom. When he spotted Katara, he'd given her a dopy smile.

Three hours after that, Aang and she had arrived at the restaurant. Going their separate ways, she had gotten changed in the back, wearily heading out to the kitchen.

Opening the kitchen doors, she walked smack dab into a solid wall of muscle. Backed up, and tripped on her feet. Embarrassed and bruised, her gaze met two curious stares. One gave her a heated smile, while one leaned against the wall, unfazed by her ineptness. Her face flushed angrily as she ignored the offered assistance. Brushing past them both, she tied her apron and hesitantly waited for an explanation. She didn't recognize either one, but both had on uniforms. The other employees shrugged and continued on with their job. For the duration of the whole thing, Katara had been looked up to and had taken the spot of temporary head cook. She didn't mind it. For once, people listened to her. If only her family could take the hint.

She was handed a short and to the point notice from her boss.

**'Until further notice,**

**continue on as before.'**

But then why where there two men standing in her kitchen, both in the restaurant uniform? Raising a quizzical eyebrow, she had given the two males a probing glare.

Instinctively, with one trying to stay in her personal space, she'd gotten defensive. With hands on her hips, she gave Aang her infamous glare. Shaking his head, he'd explained how he wouldn't want any bloodshed on his hands. Walking out of her kitchen, he told her to try to get along and play nice. Trying hard not to give a frustrated scream, she had clenched her teeth and rubbed his shiny tatooted head affectionately. His apologetic smile had her wondering why she didn't just get over it already. Aang and Sokka loved her. Her two brothers made her life interesting, never a dull moment when both of them got together. Their concern for her made her happy to call them her family. At other times, they made her want to pull her hair out, but she had to admit that growing up with these two had definitely been worth it the journey. One was blood related, while the other had become her brother by means of hardship and trust.

When Aang turned to leave, she gave him a sad smile. When had the time flown away? It seemed like yesterday that her dad had come home with the unsmiling boy. After losing everything he had, he had become a part of her family. The three of them had bonded instantly, supporting the other to the best of their ability.

Shaking her head, she took orders as they came, completely focusing at the tasks at hand. One of her coworkers had called her over, wondering why his order wasn't coming out right. Lips thinned, she told him to switch with her. She'd discovered in less than a moment what the problem was — he didn't know how to use the grill. How hard was a task as simple as that?

The two strangers were casually standing, trying to look like they belonged. The brunette would try to get her to speak, but he had given that notion up when she'd pointed the knife at him.

Frowning, she pulled out her iPod. Every ten minutes or so, Aang would tag another order through the window, concern filled his eyes when she met his gaze. Wiping off her hands hastily on a towel, she turned to face the new comers. She stared at the one, racking her memory as to why he seemed so familiar.

A minute later, she realized where she had known him from. How could she have forgotten? High school — seven years ago. His name escaped her; he had been the most popular boy in school. He was two years ahead of her, a soccer player. Or something of the sort. While almost every other girl her age was swooning at his every word, she had been coaxing Aang in math. He had always had problems with it, even in high school if it hadn't been for her and Sokka, the poor kid might still be back in tenth grade, repeating the tests all over.

Despite his demeanor and attitude, Sokka was a genius. He had always had top grades, while she had keep up with him. Everything had come easily to him, he'd made good grades without studying a few times, sports had been his pastimes. Studying and staying up hours after midnight preparing, she'd been able to skip a grade and finish school early. While he'd taken a year off to relax, she'd rushed straight to the North Pole, more than ready to learn to fight.

The breathtaking man standing before her wouldn't remember her, not matter what he would claim if he did. The school she had gone to had been too big for that to be humanly possible. In a school that size, Katara had been extremely unknown compared to his popularity. It was probably because she had been bumped up a grade that no one her age liked her, but then again, what did she know? They had avoided her like a plague, afraid her 'nerd germs' would rub off on them. She hadn't even looked needy. Heck, normal looking was normal looking.

Even if she met up with anyone from high school, she had changed a lot since then and _no one_ would recognize her. When she had entered collage, she'd sorrowfully removed her hair loopies and actually started wearing things that suited her. Her hair wasn't as short as it used to be either, like when it had stopped just below her shoulders. Now it stopped below her hips, its thickness bound in a dark blue scrunchy.

Catching herself veering off subject, she wiped the far away glaze from her eyes and smiled softly. Pointing at the dark tan brunette, she crooked her finger. With a smirk on his lips, he sauntered over to her. Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, she locked her gaze with his.

"You called?"

Katara ignored the seductive tone. There were too many guys who pulled that one on her, this time wasn't an exception. In fact, she would just start anew with him. The slate was wiped clean, and this would be the first time they met face to face. Deciding to play along for the time being, she gave him a half smile, beckoning him closer. Complying, he leaned down until there were only a few inches separating between.

A second passed before she grabbed his shirt and fluttered her eyes. Her hand clenched tighter when he raised both eye brows, pleased by her actions.

"What's your name?" she whispered, giving her voice a girlie flirty edge. Flirtatious was something she never did. She'd rather listen to someone else try and miserably fail then fake interest.

"Beauty, you can just call me Jet."

Not the least bit amused, she then dropped the act all together. She'd had enough with this.

"Listen to me, Jet — I've had a _terrible_ day. And if you make it any worse, you're going to wish Aang was in here to save your sorry hide. So until my boss gives me any more to go by—and since you said you're here on the boss's orders — you're _going_ to work."

Before she could say anymore, a hand was placed on her shoulder. Glancing to the hand's owner, she turned her eyes towards Jet's companion. Face neutral, the man with the gold eyes shook his head slowly, as if telling her he wasn't worth it. She let Jet go, crossing her arms.

"We're here to be of help, not hindrance." The flatness of the voice made her wonder where she'd heard his voice before. She knew it seemed familiar, but couldn't recall. Mentally shrugging, she nodded.

"Jet, grab an apron and help her," he said, "And Ms…?"

"My name is Katara," she replied coolly.

"Will you continue on as before? Jet and I will do what we're told; just tell us where to start."

She blinked. Somehow, she had thought Jet would be the more prominent one. It only seemed fair, seeing as Jet's charismatic attitude filled up the kitchen, overwhelming when his perfect smile was aimed her way. It wasn't just the fact that Katara knew how many girls swooned over his devastating charm that disgusted her, it was the fact that he had tried to turn up the heat on her. When she had been a teenager, romance had been a happy escape for her, a silly dream she had looked forward to of one day having. Not anymore though. She'd seen the ups and downs to those and she didn't feel anywhere remotely interested. And she suspected Jet would be just like the others, too. The line was drawn in bold for guys like him.

But this man—tall and enigmatic—seemed to hold an air about him that made her calm down. His black hair looked silky to the touch; it was long, but not unkempt. His unsmiling face told her that she didn't have to worry about him, unlike his friend over there.

Perplexed, she found herself giving a small smile to this familiar stranger. "Thank you," she told him gratefully.

He nodded.

Curious, she asked, "Are either of you benders?"

Jet mumbled under his breath while he shook his head. A sharp nod came from yet-to-be-named. With a snap of his fingers, a flicker of fire blazed in his hand, illuminating his golden eyes. Impressed but nervous, she raised her eyebrows. This would be something new. She'd never gotten the chance to really associate with a firebender before. Either this would work to her advantage, or she would be out on the street, begging other employers to let her work.

Facing Jet, she spoke, "Grab the knife and start working on those vegetables." She watched him as he followed her orders and then sighed in relief when he sliced and expertly cut in a diagonal motion. He might not like what he was doing, but at least he was good at it.

She waltzed over to the sink and tuned the handle, a steady stream of water flowing as it sloshed over the dirty dishes. Someone had to do them, and it wouldn't be her. She needed to carry on handling the orders, not try to juggle between the two. She turned towards the yet-to-be-named familiar stranger. "You are going to wash dishes. When you're done with that, come help us in the kitchen, got it?"

A silence stilled over them. Then a hearty chuckle had the tanned brunette – Jet – as he clutched his stomach and bent double, laughing. He wiped his eyes and struggled to catch his breath.

Eyebrows furrowed, she rolled her eyes. Turning her back, she filled her hands with stirring a pot and a wooden spoon. A moment later, she reached over and took the vegetables near Jet's hands, dropping them in the clear broth. Circling to her left, she carefully removed meat from the oven, setting it on a plate. She spooned on the side dishes carefully, appetizingly perfect so it complimented the center.

"Wait—you were serious?"

Halfway glancing back, she gave him a deadpan reply, "Are my hands full? That's your answer."

Giving her an incredulous look, Jet smiled.

"This will go down in history you know." Amusement filled his voice. He moved to read the order and then stepped beside her, relieving her of some of her burdens. The proximity made the hair on her neck prickle, but seeing as it was the only was the only way, she reluctantly ignored it.

The sound of moving told her the other man was busy at his task. Half an hour ticked by before Jet's associate finished. And somehow, she had found center ground—literally. While Jet stood to her left, Zuko—that's what Jet had called him—quietly worked on her right. They balanced the other, she silently noted. Talkative opposed to silent, open friendly manner versus cold detached behavior.

It was only moments later she discovered that Zuko wasn't really kitchen friendly. He'd left a pot of boiling water on too long, it one way or another freakishly caught fire. It had only been inches away from her hand when the flames roared to life. Startled, she yelped and jerked away from the heat bumping into Jet in her involuntary stumble to get away. With one glance, his eyes had widened, and his arm slid around her shoulders as he pulled her back.

And then it disappeared. Zuko had bended the fire away, like it had never almost seared the skin on her hands. The wall wasn't so fortunate. An ugly back scorch mark marred the wall. After the first accident, she made Zuko stand away from the stove and other heat sources, wary about another mishap. He had apologized, but wouldn't meet her gaze. No emotion showed on his face as is did the tall brunette. Taking her hand, he inspected it, assuring to Zuko that it was whole and intact. After that, Zuko had become deathly quiet, only the rustle of clothing or the clink of the dishes announcing his presence. Katara vaguely identified his expression something close to a stoic mask, hiding whatever happened below the surface. At least that's what she thought it was--she'd read in an article somewhere about similar behaviors.

Jet filled the silence with chitchat, every once on a while mentioning that he was single and searching. Was she available for Friday night? Short and sweet, a simple 'No' had been his answer. After the sixth time, she just simply stopped answering him altoghter. But still he flirted as if she was the only girl for him. For the moment and annoyed, she had taken a dish towel and snapped it at his back, accidently missing, and landing square on his butt.

Taken back, he struggled not to smile. He waited until she had turned around before getting her back, making them even. Katara's face had reddened, with both embarrassment and anger, as she went back to work.

For the rest of the night, small things here and there would be exchanged. Nothing dangerous, just childish banter, no parental guidance needed. To an innocent bystander, it would seem that she and Jet had known each other for years. Other waiters and waitresses would stop by to hand in slips of paper every once in a while, but Aang stayed far away, making sure Katara learned to get along and share the kitchen.

Unknowingly, the entire time Zuko was struggling not to just forget the whole thing and leave. The only thing stopping him was the fact that the restaurant needed all the help it could get.

--

However, the hours passed as the night slowly ended. Within that span, she had relaxed enough for Jet to make her laugh. She'd been right—he hadn't recognized her. He wouldn't go further into the fire incident either, but he'd helped her more than she ever thought possible. Why in the world had her boss not just hired this guy? Shang couldn't cook worth a darn; his food could have poisoned someone. They actually used to have fish out in one of the front ponds, but a few weeks after she started working, one of the waiters had fed them some of Shang's biscuits – the pond has been empty ever since.

Katara washed her hands, working the scented soap into lather. She let the water run over her hands, cleaning and hydrating her sore hands. Oh, how she wished she were at home taking a hot shower. Sighing, the exhausted girl turned the water off and wiped her hands.

Minutes later, she walked into the empty lounge. Burgundy walls gave the room a rich, sophisticated feeling, accented by plain and simple wooden furniture. A single work of art hung on one wall, drawn in charcoal. When she had first started working here, that sketch had captivated her. A lone dragon rested with its wings out stretched, lying on a jagged rock that out looked over vast mountains tops and the vally below. The dragon itself seemed filled with life, strength hidden beneath its surface. Its gaze burned with an unnerving gleam, as if a fire was building beneath the surface. How could a simple black and white sketch seem so real? She couldn't find a signature anywhere on it. Even though she knew she had no eye for art, she knew someone would pay a price indeed for this. Her dad had once told her that every work of art had a meaning behind it, and that the artist was expressing their words - sometimes thousands at a time - into a single canvas.

To her, the dragon stood as an enigma, a mystery that she so desperately wanted to solve. He looked perched – ready to fly away at any time, but relaxed, as if he couldn't – or didn't want to – go yet. Like freedom waiting to be found, yet feared and wondered about at the same time.

"Ready to go?"

In good spirits, she reached for her purse. Aang held his backpack on one shoulder, a crooked smile curled at his lips. Hooking her arm into his, she thought about tomorrow.

**H-** This chapter was written at three something in morning, so it was a challenge to just stay awake. Because when the screen is blurring together, the room is spininng, and the words aren't even in English, it's time for bed--don't let someone else tell you otherwise. Because if you're not careful, you can wake up like I did a few weeks back, standing in a thunderstorm with the newspaper at your feet and a box of cereal on the doorstep. For once, I've learned my lesson-- even if took over a year to enforce.

No flames, please. Read and review.

I- Haha, lucky for you, it was edited a few hours later. Morning, but at daylight, so it wasn't full of tYpoS aand horibbl spelling. (I'm joking, I'm joking, sorry Heflo!) But you're lucky you can't see how she writes :3 Don't get me wrong, she's got a huge vocabulary, but horrible spelling. ((I even edited the paragraph above.)) So now, either review or go to the next chapter and then review. Izzy, signing out! \m/(.)\m/


	3. Iroh's Tea Shop

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own any characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor do we own the show. We're simply writers manipulating them for our own twisted, fictitious use.**

Six weeks came and went, passing as if within the blink of an eye. Her routine was still the same, but things had definitely become more interesting and enjoyable. Her brother had gotten better; his girlfriend had decided to go around and search for a bigger, better apartment; Aang had something he was trying to keep secret from her, but it was pretty obvious when he hid things as soon as she walked into a room, whispered on the phone, and left at mysterious times without a word to where he was going. She just played along, the thrill of trying to figure out what he was doing long since gone. Jet was still trying, every day asking her if she was ready to go out on a date. And every time, she answered the same thing — no. The restaurant had been worked on, everything in working order; everything had been repaired or fixed. She didn't have a clue who had made the phone calls to the Boss, but she had been surprised to discover that miracles do, in fact, happen.

Her day off last week, she had left her apartment with a grocery list on hand. Not really something worth mentioning, but the part where she got completely and totally turned around was. She'd stumbled upon a small bookstore located a few blocks away from the major shopping center. Of course, it was hidden away in the back alleys, but it had been a surprise none the less. It was filled with every kind of book, some new, some old. She promised herself she'd return when she could, but the books on her shelves needed to be read first.

A shiver ran across her skin as wind skittered and gray clouds darkened. The weather forecast had said there would be a chance of a drizzle, but nothing about a storm. She adjusted her bags and glanced around. Surely there was a place where she could go to kill a little bit more time. There was two hours until she needed to get her butt in gear and head out to work.

The street was deserted, and if she hadn't known better, she would have thought it devoid of life. Bitter winds blew at her face, and it chilled her down to the bone. Her hands were full of groceries and she couldn't reach her cell phone in her back pocket. Home was a half hour walk when it was sunny and she had nothing but a purse to carry. Katara felt the temperature dropping a single degree at a time, all warmth leaving the once sunny, cloudless day. The breeze, now coming in strong gusts, made the whole alleyway whistle.

Katara quickened her pace and turned a deserted corridor. Forgetting where she was, she decided to turn around and take another route. Another half-hour went by like this, as she wandered around and tried to get her feel of the area for future reference.

In other words, she was lost.

Rain started to fall, first in just a pleasant drizzle, then more, pouring down so hard that she couldn't see three feet in front of her. Running for shelter, she paused at a covered door. There was absolutely no way she'd be able to make her way to work any time soon. Setting her bags down at her feet, she rung out her hair, not bothering with trying to dry off any further than that. Now that she was wet, she was enjoying the refreshing feeling against her skin. Picking up her bags once more, she decided to go in the crimson door in front of her.

With a slight creek, she entered into a dimly lit room with a warm temperature. The smell of something sweet wafted above her, drifting in from another room. A single candle was lit, residing on a far table. Walking over to it, she waited until her eyes adjusted.

"I see the storm caught you"

Turning towards the gruff voice, she found a portly old man watching her, with a book tucked under his arm. His hair was gray, and his clothing various shades of red and black.

"I'm sorry. Should I leave?"

Chuckling, he shuffled closer, giving her a better look at him.

His smile was contagious, kind amber eyes held a concealed wisdom. Raising a hand to touch her arm, he spoke, "Are you crazy? It's lightning, stay here until it passes. Besides, you look like you could use some tea. Do you like jasmine?"

--

With wide, sparkling eyes, Katara watched him make tea. He had ducked into another door before coming back with a plate of cookies. Half of them were plain, while half of them were chocolate with chocolate chunks. Her mouth watered. Homemade cookies? What had she done to deserve these? Thanking fate for small favors, she politely accepted them and followed behind him. They sat down in the front on the candlelit table.

Placing down the tea pot, he placed his hands together as if in prayer, then separated them and pointed towards the ceiling. Light filled the room as fire flew from his fingertips and lit more candles.

"You're a firebender?"

Nodding, he smiled.

"Not what you would expect from such an old man like myself. Ah," he clapped his hands together, and gave a small bow. "How rude of me."

"How have you been rude?" she asked him quizzically, a confused smile on her lips.

Setting his tea cup down, he waggled a finger at her. "How could I just serve you and be rude? Unless it was poisoned, of course—I was thinking of something entirely different, my dear."

Puzzled, she frowned.

He gave a whole hearted laugh. His eyes shone with delight even after he sobered up enough to reply, "It's been a while since I've been able to meet a new face. My name is Iroh—but please, call me Uncle." He raised the cup to his lips to drink, and poured it down in a few sips.

Understanding, she took a swallow of her tea. Her eyes widened. Staring at the liquid, she savored the delicious flavor. It tasted wonderful. She inhaled deeply, breathing in the flowery scent. Closing her eyes, she sipped again, enjoying the warmth as it went down her throat.

Cracking open her lids, she peered at him over her simple white tea cup. His expression was pleased, but his eyes gave him away.

"Would you care to tell me what's on your mind?"

Shocked, he gave her an astonished look. He set his teacup down and heaved a troubled sigh. Stroking his beard, his eyebrows drew closer together, his mind contemplating as if whether or not to answer her or not.

"Would you believe me if I said there aren't many things that surprise me anymore? Of course you would, I'm old. Of all the things I have ever heard, I'm amazed that I never stop learning."

He folded his hands on the table as he started. "My mind has been troubled about my nephew, actually. He's such a tormented young man. He used to be so happy, but something changed him when he turned twenty. He showed up on my doorstep with a bag and stayed with me until last year. I haven't heard from him since." Katara leaned forward, her curiosity beginning to spark.

"You remind me of him, you know."

Puzzled, she asked why.

"Because you're so different from him, but similar somehow," he said bluntly. "May I?"

She nodded eagerly, urging him to keep going.

"You're mature for your age. You take my advice, dear, and live life to its fullest." Uncle patted her hand, as if trying to console her. "You're naturally talented, very intelligent. You're a waterbender, too. What a wonderful mother you'd be, because you've already had plenty of practice at it. Am I right?"

She gasped, blue eyes growing wide.

He chuckled. "It seems I am."

Searching his face, she wondered if he'd been stalking her. How did he know that? Her nose flared when she thought of something else. But no, this man held sweet, honest eyes. Katara could tell he meant no harm. He was even sharing his sagely views with her. Placing her hands in her lap, she comfortably slouched in her chair before sitting back up.

"Have I met you before?" She whispered.

"Not that I remember, my dear. I don't think I would forget a face as lovely as yours either." He refilled her cup, the liquid a smooth gold, steaming as she raised it back to her lips. Blowing on it, she carefully made sure as to not freeze it. There were still some things she had trouble with, because they had become habitual.

"How impolite," she murmured.

Frowning, Uncle reached for a chocolate cookie. He waved a hand at her, a sign he wanted to know what was wrong. Crumbs fell as Uncle bit into the cookie, crumbs falling on his shirt. She gave the kind man a slow grin. "How can I just sit here and be so rude to you, Uncle?"

His eyes lit up with delight and shook his head as he caught on, chuckling quietly to himself. Picking a cookie, she paused before she took a bite.

"My name is Katara."

--

Katara hummed as she walked into the back entrance of the restaurant. The rain had let up enough for her to leave, and she'd promised Uncle she'd come visit him again, as soon as she had the chance. With his wrinkled smiling face in her mind, she changed as quickly as possible and put her bag in her locker.

Upon opening the door, she was greeted with a smothering bear hug. As her breathing became constricted, she squeezed back and spoke, "Aang, your stepping on my foot."

Grimacing, Aang stepped back, rubbing his head. A slight blush rose on his cheeks, his gray eyes filled with apology. Katara up at him, glad he had gotten to work without her. If he had stayed at the apartment, he would have been there all night, probably waiting for her to return when she was her working, where he should have been.

Walking, Katara strolled into the kitchen, setting her groceries in the gigantic fridge. Rummaging around in her purse, she pulled out a sharpie and scribbled her name on the plastic bags. Dropping it back in, she went to the other end of the kitchen, the direction of the bathrooms . Aang kept up with her and ranted along the way. "Where were you, Katara?" he questioned. "I tried calling your cell phone two hours ago but you didn't pick up."

Pushing open the doors, she blew an exasperated breath. On one of the counters, was a large container.

"Now just wait a minute, Katara, I'm not leaving until you tell me where you went or..." Katara jerked her head backwards and stared at Aang. Troubled, he placed one hand on the countertop beside her, blocking her off. Adjusting her purse, she headed for the employees lounge

"I've got food to cook, Aang. Unless you want both of us to get fired, I suggest we talk about this at home. I was with a friend, if you'd like to know. The storm caught me at a bad time and I waited until it let up."

Aang stared her down, Katara glaring at him, frustrated. He searched her eyes for any hint of emotion, but all he could find was annoyance and perhaps a bit of anger. Aang gave an exasperated sigh as he went to man the bar.

--

Opening the massive thing, she frowned. Giving her coworkers a quizzical stare, her eye brows furrowed. Zuko got to her first. He rapped on its side and sneered at the offending object. "Stupid thing can't be used now." he told her. He handed her apron to her and closed the top of the box. Pulling it over her head, she reached behind her to tie the strings together. But she'd been too slow, apparently, because she was then spun around. Zuko swiftly tied the strings together, knotting it with a gentle tug. Puzzled at his behavior, she froze. He leaned on the counter, only inches away as she turned to look at him.

Jet glanced up, and frowned. "Hey," he protested, "I need help over here."

Both of them walked over, peering over Jet's shoulder. He had a massive cake, topped off with strawberries and frosting. He ducked behind her as she picked it up and put it in the delivery window.

"What's with all the ice?" Katara inquired about the melted chest of it.

"Jet found it near the drop off door. By the time we found it, it was already mush."

Katara cocked her head. "That still doesn't answer my question, Zuko."

Snorting a small flame, he shrugged. He walked over to the stove and flipped the steaks, stirred a few pots and checked on the ovens. Three weeks of excessive learning had done him a lot. Her and Jet had spilt it evenly on who stayed an hour after to teach the firebender, sometimes even coming early to get more into the tight schedule. The only accidents that happened now where the ones that went on outside the kitchen. New staff had been hired to replace the people who had left, some experienced, while a few where fresh from school. Aang had been promoted, not officially, but he took charge over getting the newbies used to their jobs. There were now seven people other than just her to use their culinary profession to its fullest. As of right now, they were working on various dishes, and calling her or Jet over when they finished, making sure they got it right. Sad thing was, she wasn't a professional, but they didn't know that, so she didn't mention it. Winking, Jet would check up on the others while she took his place. Sharing a kitchen was a skill all in itself. First, one had to cook. Second, one had to avoid accidents involving other people. Third, the peaking order and socializing could be a pain.

Some days, Katara had so many orders that the people in the back never got a break until the night ended. Those days where the ones where she would go home exhausted, sleeping in until she was awoken by her brother's antics via phone.

Jet ran a hand through his hair, his frustration clearly showing. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he shook his head and joined Zuko over at the works. One set down plates for the other, so he could put food onto them, each trying to hurry up the pace even though the pace couldn't get any faster without the aid of steroids.

What was their problem?

Staring at the ice, she laughed. Shipments weren't always going to be on time, so why did they make it into such a big deal? This was something she could fix. Zuko met her gaze, raising an eyebrow.

"You want ice? I can give you that." Katara said amused.

Only a small bit of ice was left, floating in the water it had become. She briefly wondered how this was going to turn out. Bending closer, she exhaled a freezing stream of air. Water crystallized, reforming and freezing into a solid shape.

--

Hands were placed on her shoulders, cornering her from escaping. Zuko was staring down on her, a passive expression etched into his faces. He was unusually silent, even by his standards. Jet's muffled curses came from the other room, the sound loud and incredulous to the ear.

"Katara?" he asked quietly.

Her eyes widened, surprised. That was the first time she'd heard him say her name. When he said it, her name sounded unique and beautiful. When her family said it, it sounded like a broken record – worn out and dull.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Rasping, he gave her a slight expression of disbelief.

Suddenly unsure, she jerked back. His hands left go, dropping to his sides. Her feet felt numb, as if lead had replaced them while she hadn't been watching. Her hands closed as she sat down in a seat, her eyes wandered until they stopped to view outside the window.

Lights lit up everywhere, the nighttime buzz just starting to wind down for the night. Without looking at a clock, she knew it was sometime after midnight.

"Well, you never asked."


	4. News and a Broadcast

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own any characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor do we own the show. We're simply writers manipulating them for our own twisted, fictitious use. **

* * *

The flimsy wooden utensil in her hand broke in two, giving a quick snap. Katara's breathing rate increased dramatically. Thumping hard, her heart felt a crack threatening to rupture her perfect little world. Her brain was pounding inside of her skull, and she felt like everyone was looking at her. Could they hear it as well as she could? Slowly, Katara backed away from the stove, turning it off. She closed her eyes, shutting out her surroundings. Focusing only on her brother's voice, she felt a slight tremor in her hands.

She disconnected, staring at her cell phone. Panicked aftershocks were washing over her. First, there was the frightening, indecision. Then came the mad dash headed straight for the door, uncaring that she was walking out on her job. She had to get there _now_, not when ever her shift ended. If she waited till then, it would be far too late.

In the lounge, she quickly her things, almost spilling them because her hands were shaking so badly. The woman's breathing was still ragged, and tiny beads of moisture somehow found their way onto her forehead.

"You're not going anywhere."

Distressed, she felt her eyes widen. Her vision was blurry, but she could make out distorted shapes of people standing in front of her, blocking the way out. Little black spots swam before her eyes as she struggled to breathe. Two against one, both physically bigger then her, both male.

"Move," she demanded. Her voice wasn't commanding and firm, as she intended. It sounded far away, weak and shaky. The appearance of a coward was the last thing she needed. Only one thing was on her mind: get out, now!

But, obediently, they listened to her and moved — closer. As soon as the opening was clear, she bolted. Her tries were in vain, however. Katara felt arms clamp around her, restraining her struggling attempts. Her eyes burned even though they were squeezed shut. After a minute of useless fighting, she gave up altogether. There was no way she could over power both of them physically.

"Let me go."

"No. You're not thinking straight, you need to calm down." Someone spoke in her ear. It was a gentle voice, soothing, and her heartbeat slowed a bit.

"Damn. That hurt, Katara." The second voice she recognized as well. It was much more rowdy, and although a bit heated, full of spirit.

Looking around, wary tears swam before her eyes. Jet had stepped away, his watchful gaze filled with bewilderment. His arm was bleeding — where did those marks come from? His appearance was disheveled, as well. She also noticed him wincing when he shifted his weight.

"Why the hell did you pounce me and not him?" he asked her, perturbed. A pair of arms were still snaked around her waist, rooting her into place. Out of her peripheral vision, she could see Zuko behind her. His presence made her aware that she had just lost it. Jet had been hurt and she didn't even remember it. Shame flooded through her as the adrenaline subsided.

"Now," Zuko's breath tickled her ear, "tell me what happened."

Taking in a shaky breath, she leaned into him. He was like a blanket of warmth, cocooning her in his strength. Just he being there reassured her, relaxing her fear. Something about him rang familiar in her mind. She had known him for two months, not once having this strange sense of familiarity, so why hadn't it happened before? He didn't protest, so she started slowly, gathering speed until it all blurred into a run on sentence that should've been a paragraph, and she was forced to breath once more.

"My brother called me. I couldn't understand but a few words that he said. He said something about the emergency room," she choked out desperately, "I need to be there."

Zuko stiffened. Taking her hand, he led her towards the door pulling his car keys from his pocket.

"Where to?"

Swallowing, she flashed him a grateful smile. Katara nodded in Jet's direction, not bothering to waste her breath. He waved them on, telling her that he could manage on his own tonight.

--

Zuko had driven over the speed limit, flying past other cars. Weaving through turns and over passes, he expertly eased them into the hospital's parking lot. When they had reached his car, she had noted the sleek sport car. It was brand new, not a flaw to it. The inside was roomy with a velvet interior. It must have cost a fortune. The ride up had been silent, neither one willing to break the fragile stillness. If not for her impatience, she would have been scared senseless. It seemed that defensive driving was the only way to expertly maneuver through the city.

They had breezed past the nurse's station, Katara barely remembering what Zuko had said to them to get them immediate access. His velvet voice probably would have done the trick all on it's own. When she'd been ushered into the intensive care unit, shouts rang out from behind a closed curtain.

Out of a sudden instinct, she rushed forward, knowing her family was there. Sokka was being held back by two male nurses, anguish lacing his voice. He wasn't aware of her arrival, that's how focused his attention was. Pain lacing his azure eyes, she followed the direction of his gaze.

Without a second's hesitation, she called her water to her, making it appear from the air. It formed a glowing orb, eerily vivid, taking the place of the lights. No one stopped her, only stepped out of her way as she came upon the bed. Bleeding heavily, Suki lay on the bad, moaning. Her eyes were distant, her breathing harsh. Katara moved the water, shaping it over her friend's, body. Instantly, she paled.

"Bring me more water!" she demanded impatiently. Silently repeating the mantra Pakku had taught her, she put all of her concentration on every little task. She couldn't afford any mistakes.

She used her energy, redirecting the flow into Suki. Closing her eyes, she used the water to scan for more injuries. Sokka's cries became remote as she became one with her element. She infused the water into the girl's wounds, forcing them to reform. The girl's labored breathing was become softer, leaving Katara little choice as to how long she had. She had only a little time before she it was too late. Redoubling her efforts, she felt a wave on nausea hit her hard. Her knees wobbled, threatening to give out under her. Groaning, beads of sweat formed on her forehead. A body moved in behind her, sliding up close. Without looking back, she knew it was Zuko. He knew she was reaching her limit. Just when her knees bent, he slid his arms around her, giving her the support she needed. He stroked her hair out of her face, and tucked it behind her ears.

Her control flickered, a split second of absolute terror made her cry out. Her hands lost feeling as she pressed her last bit of energy. Suddenly, her bending changed. Where she'd been fighting to push through, it had been like trying to swim in glue, sticky and hard to bypass. She winced as she opened her eyes. Her mouth became dry when she realized what had happened, an involuntary gasp came from her. No…

This was something she'd never done before, but it didn't matter. If Suki died, her brother would never be the same. After Yue, Sokka had changed. She knew her older brother had never really gotten over his first love, and Katara didn't think she'd be able to help him pick up the pieces if Suki passed away. If she were to die, so would Sokka's baby.

--

Accepting the offered cup of coffee, she thanked Zuko. He sat down beside her, leaning his back against the wall. Somewhere in the frenzy of the night, his clothes had been ruffled—it would have been odd if he'd stayed completely untouched. She drank the hot liquid, setting down the empty styrofoam cup when she finished.

"Katara?" he glanced down on her, relieved to see her smiling tiredly.

She rested her head on his shoulder, exhaustion weighing her down. Her body was completely drained. She was doing good to move, least of all staying awake.

It had been terrible. The extent of Suki's internal bleeding had almost been too much. It had been a miracle when the monitors had returned back to normal. Because the moment they had, Katara's strength had faltered. The timing couldn't have been any more perfect.

Now, forty minutes later, she was here, half asleep on Zuko's shoulder. Katara had stayed until she was sure Suki would be fine. The poor girl was sleeping, but otherwise healed. By the time Katara had left the room, the doctor had arrived, upset that he wouldn't be getting paid for not doing his job. Katara's eye had twitched, her nostrils flared as she snarled back at him with an inappropriate name. Angrily, Zuko had silently put his hand in hers — gently — and led her away, knowing the doctor was in danger.

Sokka chose that moment to peak his head into the hallway. Katara's eyes were closed and she looked peacefully fatigued. Zuko was speaking to her in a hushed tone as he sat beside her. Seeing the two together, he smiled sadly before slowly creeping away. His baby sister had finally grown up, he thought to himself.

--

Katara stayed home the next day. Last night's energy exertion had left her useless, spent with no hope of walking in a straight line. She remembered Zuko helping her get to the car, and him pulling out of the parking lot. The next thing she remembered was waking up in her bed, still in the clothes from last night.

Aang had left a note on the fridge, saying that he'd be back. So groggily, she had opened the fridge, and to her surprise — sarcasm heavily used here — a lone jar of grape jelly stood on the second self. Great. Starving, and no food. Her body ached, and her stomach grumbled loudly, sensing the lack of nutrition it was going to get. So, dragging her feet, she made her way to the 'living room'. You'd think a two bedroom apartment would have one, wouldn't you? Not this one. She and Aang used his room for that. He didn't mind. He was actually quite fond of the Plasma.

She plopped down onto his bed, picking up the remote. She went through the channels, stopping at the news. Most of it was nothing much to report on, but a few things sparked her interest. Cost of travel would be going up, due to the gas prices. Good thing she didn't have a car. Not that she didn't want one; she just didn't think she needed one. There were plenty of things she wanted, but couldn't have because she either didn't have the space for it, or the price was way up there. A car was one of them.

Besides, even when Aang and her split the rent, they were tight on cash. Somehow, it was in both Sokka and Aang, that money burned a giant whole in their pockets. So Katara took it on herself to save up, while Aang went and splurged at every chance he got. Her older brother was worse. Even when he didn't have the money, he somehow got every little thing that appealed to him. Then he'd figure out that what he'd just bought was a stupid waste of money and go buy something else to make him feel better. Funny how you can barely pay for the things you need yet always the things that you want.

Katara had stopped wondering how he got the money, because she'd just get migraines thinking about how she was going to pull her brother's sorry bum out of jail. If he got himself there, he could probably use a knickknack of some sort to find a way out.

Besides, everything Katara needed was within walking distance, and her job was only a half hour walk from here. The apartment complex she lived in wasn't brand new, but at least they could afford it.

The newscaster went on to talk about stock market progress. Annual sales would be starting tomorrow morning, early shoppers be ready! In a local zoo, a pair of breeding Buffalo Dear had a rare albino baby…

Katara blinked as the news caster turned his attention towards the restaurant she worked at. His greenish-brown eyes sparkled as he spoke.

"Well, there is some good news some tonight. My producers and I decided to try out this fabulous restaurant a few days ago in the down town area. One thing that I noticed when I first walked in was the opened air kitchen."

The camera scanned the restaurant, capturing everyone enjoying themselves. Staff members were smiling openly at customer. (Someone mouthed something strangely similar to "Hi, mom!") Customers were laughing and eating with a gusto she'd never really gotten a chance to see. Then the kitchen came into the picture.

Suddenly, she saw Jet glancing up at the screen. He winked before returning to cooking. An assistant handed him a grater, and bumped into Zuko. Apologizing, the man zipped away, placing a set of plates on the delivery window.

Katara saw Zuko standing behind Jet, handing off food to others. His back was turned away from the screen, the inkiness of his black hair glossy and healthy. She was smiling at him as she garnished a seafood dish. The screen zoomed closer, focusing on the three of them. The raven haired man was at an angle and Katara swore Zuko had his cheeks upturned… Jet's body was shaking with laughter.

"Can you believe it folks? After asking the bartender, we found out that the oldest person working here is thirty. The food was amazing, the service excellent." Zooming in on one of the more exotic dishes, the camera came to a halt. "Folks, you don't see these kinds of delicacies anywhere else—at least not locally." He chuckled.

"Be sure to come check this place out. I promise you," the camera showed the reporter's aging features, smiling; "you'll never forget it. Now, onto our forecaster with this weekend's expectations."

Katara switched off the TV, and her jaw dropped. When had that happened? She didn't remember that. Frowning, she racked her memory for anything. Nope. If she could barely remember last night, how was a certain fleeting moment in time going to stay?

It was then the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Katara — You! T.V!" gushed an excited voice. Oh, geez, here came a rant.

She leaned back on Aang's pillows, getting comfortable.

"Yes?" she looked at her nails. Frowning, she glanced closer. When had they gotten longer? Time for a trim, she shrugged.

Her older brother ranted on aimlessly for fifteen minutes, as if last night had never happened. She responded at direct questions, and made herself give him a half hearted argument.

"Suki wants to know," he interjected, "If you could meet us somewhere."

"Wait. They're releasing her?"

"The doctor says she's completely fine. We'll be leaving in," he paused as he checked, "about four minutes."

Caught off guard, she froze. So did Sokka know? He hadn't said anything, so she was wondering if Suki even knew. The doctors must have taken x-rays. Had they informed either of them of the baby?

"Alright, Have anywhere in mind?"

Sokka mumbled something unintelligible, as she strained to hear. The sound of another voice could be heard; laughter rang loud and clear through the receiver.

"She wants you to meet her at the mall. Suki," he set the phone down. Katara could still hear her older brother whining in the background. "Why there?"

Smiling, Katara snickered knowingly. It would be like the old days, when they had still been in high school. Suki would drag him along unwilling, distract Sokka at the food court, leave him there, and meet Katara up on the second floor. Back then, Toph would have had a ball playing tricks on the unsuspecting store clerks and tormenting the mean short, old man that worked at one of the shoe stores. Katara could still remember the threats he'd yelled at them. If there was an award for most colorful language, he would have had won it years ago.

They'd catch up while her brother searched for them. One time, it had taken him over six hours to find them, and it had been a memory she'd never forget.

_Katara had stopped a toddler from going down the escalators, just barely grabbing the back of his shirt before he tumbled down. He'd looked up at her with those big eyes, and grabbed a tight hold on her. _

_"I didn't know you could buy those here! Horrified, her brother had recoiled with disbelief. The little boy's mother decided to retrieve her baby then, because Sokka was then slapped in the face. _

The red mark had taken two days to fade, she recalled.

"Great. I'll meet you guys there." Katara grinned.

"But—" Katara hung up and stretched, catlike on Aang's soft comforter.

Tired, she yawned. Sure, Suki and Katara were best friends, but even they needed some space every once and a while. Starbucks was the first thing on this girl's mind, and no one was going to stop her.

* * *

**Author Commentary**

Haha, quite a few shockers there, huh? Slow on the romance? We're getting there (: We just decided to take the scenic route. I admit, Heflo's the one who wrote the whole crisis thing. I nearly had a heart attack reading it. Read, review, and you get more chapters, faster. Unless it's negative. Then you get cold, lumpy spinach. Eech. Love ya guys, stay in touch.  
--Izzy

I have to agree with Izzy on that.. Disgusting, cold, lumpy spinach. You people are so lucky you don't live at my house. My mom is a heath nut, and my dad snores loud enough for the neighbors to ask who has a generator running.So I'm walking in the door to my house, right? Mom's watching TV and to my surprise, I think they found a new Egyptian pyramid. Go figure. So, chapter four is up. Hope everybody finds it to their liking.I made a promise to izzi that once I got chapter ten completed (cursed writer's block/motivation rut...), me and her would go out and celebrate. Only problem being she's two states away at the moment, so we can't just go to Starbucks and have a couple of rounds. Hmm.. Hey, izzi, think you could go for a espresso? Had a killer migraine earlier. Ever had one so bad so you just wanted to shoot yourself fin the foot just to distract yourself? XD  
--Heflo/Author/Mad Genius/Person who is the least obvious to have a second degree black belt

...Perhaps. Don't worry guys, chapters are coming. We're just building up anticipation... It's not like we haven't finished writing or anything . If that's what you're thinking. Try to notice our ever changing styles - Heflo and I are switching out who writes what chapters :3 Hopefully they'll keep you entertained. An expresso, maybe. A double shot would be a lot better, though :d What a freako! Sorry, haha, hey, you oughta see Fred Goes Swimming. It's funny. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a few family members' butts to kick in Zelda :D Ciao!  
--Izzy/Co-author/Editor/Comedy Relief/Wanna be a ninja


	5. Haircuts and Purses

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own any characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor do we own the show. We're simply writers manipulating them for our own twisted, fictitious use.

* * *

**

Suki had a Double Chocolate Espresso in one hand, and her second piece of cookie cake in the other. Taking a bite, she toasted Katara. Katara grinned wearily as she raised her plastic McDonald's cup. She brought the steaming liquid to her lips, blowing a cooling breathe over the fragrant coffee.

"I still can't believe that I'm here, Katara." Suki said seriously. "I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you."

Katara sighed, wondering why she agreed to come in the first place. No matter how much her and Suki's friendship meant, she needed the rest a lot more than she needed the social time. While Suki was practically bouncing with ecstasy, Katara was slumping in her chair, struggling to stay awake. Who would have known that saving someone's life would be such an energy drainer? Even her Double Shot from Starbucks and a Monster from earlier couldn't keep her awake.

"Hey," Suki said mischievously, "I know exactly what you need."

Looking up from her mocha, Katara winced. She could recognize the glimmer in those cerulean eyes from a mile away. She tried swallowing, and ended up choking on a bit of expresso.

Suki's ideas of a picker upper were completely different than hers. Toph would completely agree with Katara on this one. Her brother's girlfriend thought that excessive shopping, excessive gossiping, a bit of flirting, giggling, and playing 'dress up your friends if they liked it or not' was a great way to unwind from the day. But then again, Toph _did_ have slightly different reasons to dislike shopping, so Katara would never be able to get out of this. She suddenly wished that she had a temporary disablement, like sudden blindness, to escape the torture of shopping with someone that had _absolutely _no idea just _how much_ energy it had taken out of Katara to save said person's life.

"You and me," she finished off the last of her cookie, and reached for Katara's. When Katara didn't protest, Suki took that as an invitation, "are going to buy you clothes and treat you to something special, Katara. I'm sorry to be rude, but I should have down this, like, three years ago."

--

For the first time, Katara could actually say that Suki had proven herself. Katara had been dragged through the entire mall, going in stores, and being shoved with an armload of clothes into one dressing room into the next. It wasn't until after they walked out of the stores did Katara realize that sales were going on. Add Suki's discount cards, coupons, and knowhow, they had paid for less than half of the total amount! Otherwise, Katara would have paled after the first store.

Unfortunately, the old man that worked in the shoe store had retired. In honor of him, Katara had saluted the store as they had passed it. Suki had burst out laughing as Katara had shaken her head with distaste at the new guy.

At the moment, Katara hadn't realized that Suki was steering her towards the direction of the hair salon until she had been ushered in by the smiling stylists. An hour later, Katara came out with a scowl that would have made Zuko proud. Suki had paid them to give her hair treatment, and an expensive cut. Her arms had been held down and strapped to the chair, as an obviously gay man bopped her head with phone book. He told her to be cooperative or else he'd shave her head completely. He had fussed at her for a while; saying that he'd never seen a person with such thick hair, and then trailed on with saying that he knew plenty of people would kill for to have so much of it. She had closed her eyes and tuned him out as he butchered off her hair. Now, her hair was no longer trailing past her hips, pulled back in a pony tail. It had been layered, fell to mid back in soft waves, and shone with a brilliant natural sheen. Her hair ties had been confiscated from her person. The stylist had given her the evil eye when she tried to pull it back, so she let it down. They let her have one thing she asked for – for her thick hair to go into a good cause and not a dumpster.

When Sokka found them, his eyes had bugged out, his mouth had dropped. He'd taken her face in his hands, before pulling her into a hug, all the while sniffing and saying his little sister had changed. He then proceeded to complain. Suki had nodded when he had pointed out that this had been long overdue. Katara had smacked him away, telling him that he was taking this way too seriously.

After that, the trio had gone their separate ways. Of course, Katara had sworn to whatever deity currently on duty that she'd never let this happen again. Because, first of all, she had been left with the bags she had never wanted in the first place. By the time she had gotten home, she had come home to discover that they had beaten her to it. They being her two brothers and Suki. It hadn't taken long to figure out what had happened. Suki had distracted her while her older brother followed his girlfriend's orders. A picture of the smiling couple had been posted on her bed room door. Her closet was empty. Her hair ties were gone. Her fridge was filled. Aang still wasn't back, she had observed.

Steaming, she had picked up her phone and dialed the tattooed air bender. Three rings and then she heard his voice. "Hey, uhm, it's Aang, and I'm not here. Leave me a message and I'll get back to you soon!" There was a bit of shuffling heard, and then a muted 'Kat, what do I press now?' before there was an audible sigh and the voicemail hung up. Katara blew out a frustrated adjective.

Her uniform had disappeared with all her other clothes. _Her stupid brothers..._ Now she was going to have to go find a new one. She ran a hand though her newly cropped hair. Pausing, she walked to the bathroom. She disbelievingly stared at her reflection. God, when she walked to her job, no one would recognize her. Someone would try to usher out, and point at the "_employee's only_" sign, before they realized it was her.

Her hands fell to her sides. It had been two days since her family had decided to fix her wardrobe. Neither one would pick up the phone, nor could she get a hold of Aang. It severely worried her. There were so many possibilities of what might have happened.

Jet had called her up two days ago, telling her to rest up before coming back.

_"It's perfectly alright, Katara. I talked to the Big Man, and he said it was alright. Actually, he's the one that insisted you do." He chuckled lowly, his smile evident through the phone. _

_"Are you sure, Jet? I don't—"_

_She heard a growl before another voice cut in, taking the phone away from Jet._

_"You have three days, Katara. If you're not back by then, I will personally come over there and drag you back…"_

_She raised an eyebrow. _

_Jet's voice murmured, "Well… that's something I've never seen. Get better, kid, okay?"_

_She smiled at the concern. "See you then, Jet. Take care of my kitchen?"_

_"I can't promise you that. If the restaurant isn't here when you come back, at least you know who my finger was pointed to as we burned down in the flames."_

Well_, she remembered thinking,_ at least he replaced 'baby' with 'kid' this time.

Her mind whirred as she waited for her friend to arrive home. Deciding to go out, she left a note on the door.

Aang,

If you get this, you are in **serious** trouble when I find you.

Love you,

--K

With a newly bought purse on her shoulder, she locked her apartment. With a spring in her step, Katara set off to Iroh's home and tea shop. It took her forty minutes to find it, but the walk had been surprisingly relaxing after being cooped up for two days. She still hadn't seen many people on her way up, but that was normal on the average three o'clock Thursday afternoon. Children would be getting off of school, and working adults would be getting off their shifts. Those that weren't, would be busy with other things. Even during five o' clock traffic, this was a pretty lonely avenue.

Katara opened the door, spotting the older man sitting at the counter.

"Good afternoon! May I help you?" he asked.

She shook her head then smiled. Pulling her hair back with one hand, she turned her head to the side a bit waited.

His eyebrows furrowed, shooting up when he gasped.

"Miss Katara?"

Letting go of the thick, but shorter, mass of hair, she said, "Good afternoon to you too, Uncle." She pulled a chair next to him, and sat down. His tea cup was almost empty, and the newspaper was folded back to the comics.

"I have to say," Iroh said with a surprised expression, "You look completely different. But it suits you—very much so. How long has it been since we last had a chat?"

"A week. I think."

He nodded understandingly. "Tell me. How has your week been?"

Katara felt her smile falter. She stood up, placing a hand on his back. She set down her purse, and turned towards the hallway.

"I'll make some more tea, Uncle. I'll hope that's alright?"

He blinked. Frowning, he peered up at her with concern. He was confident in her abilities of what she was doing, but didn't say anything. He gestured towards the hall, stroking his beard.

"Since you're going to, look in the third shelf—there's a metal tin. It's Oolong.

The door behind her clicked as she closed it behind her. Looking around, she found the shelf. Taking the tin out, she opened it. She heated up the water, spooning in the tea leaves, careful not to overdo it. Katara had become comfortable here. After the first time, she had come back every few days, visiting with the kind man she had come to know and love as a real uncle. He would tell her stories of his past; share his home and his wisdom. It hadn't taken long for her to open up to him in return. Her Gran Gran wasn't one she could really say the same about—death changes people, no matter who it was. Her Mom's death had really shaken Kana. This was the first time she'd had in a while to look up to someone for advice… even if Iroh was a small bit shorter than her…

Minutes later, she carried a well loved pot out, with two cups in her other hands. She placed a cup in front of him, and served him first. His gold eyes watched her as she set the pot down.

She exhaled.

"I saw you on the news," he said casually, stirring his steaming tea. A conversation starter.

She dipped her head, indicating her attention. Remembering, she thought of how much her life had changed since both Jet and Zuko had come into it. "Is life supposed to be like this?" she wondered.

Letting her worries out in the open, she didn't know what he'd say. He closed his eyes as she spoke, clasping his hands on the table. He had been surprised at the tea. Excited, he had asked her what she had done. Katara had explained how her bending might have had a part in that—a habit that had started in grade school. When she had made the tea, the water had glowed a warm amber. She had demonstrated, all this while his face held the same impassive expression. The only thing that gave him away was his eyes.

"Have you always been able to heal?" he inquired, as she fell silent.

She shook her head. The first time had been when Aang had been careless with fireworks when they were both in high school. It had been an accident, but she had come out of that with serious burns. Running away, she had come upon a fountain outside of the park. The water had turned a brilliant blue as pained tears fell down her cheeks. Trancelike, her hands went under the water. They had come out healed, no scars or marks to indicate she'd been hurt.

Unfortunately for Aang, Sokka didn't give her the chance to come back before the tattooed air bender got wounded by Katara's protective older brother. Returning to the moment, Katara realized she had been staring down at her tea cup for a while.

"Katara. Do you understand how powerful you are?" Uncle's voice was soft.

She nodded, her gaze still directed towards the Ginori teacup.

"Really? I didn't think one such as young as yourself would understand."

Katara felt a tear slip down her cheek. Opening her mouth, she turned to face him. By the time she finished, the clock read five twenty. Shocked at the time, she blinked.

"You are not what I first thought, dear." He said with seriousness that she'd never seen. "The younger generation has grown up without being realistic. They think that life is pleasant. That everyone has a happy ever after. They like their world to be eternal, as if the world would bow down to their wishes." He shook his head in antipathy.

Getting up, he told her to wait here. Moments later, he returned with a stack of books. She gave him a curious glance as he placed one into her hands. Upon opening it, she gasped. She had never seen such painful drawings. That was the only way to describe them—each sketch had emotion bleeding from it, touching her. One page would be colored for every six or so plain sketches. They were realistic, that if she blinked, one would jump out of the book. There were places she recognized. Some of them were landscapes, different angles and lightings. Some were living and breathing resemblances. She stared so long at one of the birds, she could have sworn its chest was rising and falling with every breath.

In the middle of the book, she stopped.

A dragon. Facing away, staring out over an infinite valley. It was sleek, with shimmering wings. Its mouth was open, roaring out fire. Instantly, she thought of the picture at the restaurant. It was so alike, yet not quite the exact same.

"My nephew drew those," he told her quietly.

She jumped. She'd been so absorbed with the art, that she hadn't realized that Iroh was there. Taking in a shaky breath, she looked away from it and glanced at Iroh. His grim face was staring down at the book, his eyes hard.

"There was a time he wouldn't speak to anyone. He'd shut himself away—draw in books at a time. By the time he starting talking, I ran out of places to keep them."

He glanced at her before shaking his head, giving a half hearted chuckle.

Katara shut the book, handing it back to him. He held up his hands, wrapping her fingers around it. Confused, she asked him why.

"Why would I keep things hidden when they teach things to others?" he smiled sadly. With that, he picked up her purse, giving it to her. She got the message. Before she left, he stopped her, handing her the rest of the stack.

Waving goodbye and giving a whole hearted thank you, Katara watched the sun set. The colors melded, and the clouds loomed high over head. A moment later, her eyes widened.

Crap. She took out her cell phone, wincing at the time. Five forty. She had twenty minutes to be at work. Picking up the pace, her feet pounded against the side walk. She dodged the oncoming people, barely taking a second glance at the ones who glared at her.

She put her hands over her heart, catching her breath. 6:10. She put her things in her locker before jogging to the kitchen. She had no uniform, but that wasn't going to stop her.

Opening the door, she walked to the order rack. She silently got to work, pulling back her sleeves. No one noticed her as she started. Using her bending, she sped the process up.

A whistle came from behind her. She ignored it, knowing who it was.

"Katara?" a surprised voice asked.

She turned around, handing a plate to him. Not missing a beat, she walked around him, heading towards one of the girls. She politely asked them if they had an extra hair tie she could barrow. Nodding, one gave her a funny look before realizing who she was. Securing her hair, she looked around for her apron.

"Get over it, Jet," she told him. Frowning, she didn't spot her apron anywhere. Biting her lip, she shrugged. Oh well.

"At least someone's feeling better." He mumbled. He crossed his arms over his chest as he gave her a pout. His eyes sparkled with laughter, as he tried once again to see when she was available. Shaking her head, she set down the spatula. She flashed him a smile before checking up on others. Even being gone, she fit back in, as if nothing had ever happened.

"Looking for this?"

She whirled around, craning her neck up. Golden eyes shone with curiosity, he peered down at her with an unemotional air. Holding it up, he unfolded her apron. She sighed with relief as he walked towards her. When he reached her, as if on autopilot, she turned around, raising her arms. Hesitating, he paused before understanding. He pulled it over her head, tying a knot in the strings at the small of her back. Before she could move, he gave her a quick pat on the head. "Glad you're back." His voice was quiet, but she now knew him well enough to understand. He gave her a small smile, barely noticeable for just a glance.

Things between her and Zuko were getting better, she thought. This was the beginning of a friendship. Hopefully, as time went by, she'd be able to understand him a bit more. He might seem uncaring on the outside, but his eyes gave him away. It had taken her awhile to realize that it was the little things that spoke. Jet had once mentioned that Zuko hadn't always been like this. Of course, said fire bender had been taking out the trash when this conversation was taking place.

_"Something I wonder about," Jet voiced aloud, "is how Zuko will do if something were to happen to us." Puzzled, Katara looked up at him. He was holding a roast, carving it with a razor sharp knife. Their elbows brushed as he stopped to stare at her. His hair had gown a few inches since they had first met, but his eyes were unchanging. They were piercingly dark as they searched her. He cleaned of his hands, and whistled for one of the others to come finish. He motioned to the other side of the large room, as he led her to it. "Be careful what happens, Katara, you don't have an idea when the volcano might erupt."_

Sighing, she turned around to thank him, but the golden eyed Zuko had already left.

* * *

**Author Commentary  
**

Aaah, the first steps of falling in young like. Not love, like. These people are total opposites, they don't always attract at first. Like Heflo and I, we weren't that fond of each other in the beginning, but our relationship grew. (Quite rapidly, actually, but that doesn't mean it's gonna happen in this fic.) While you're waiting for the romantic parts to come out, you might wanna review. --brings out butcher knife-- Or else. --starts cutting up chicken for her salad-- Any commentary, Heflo? -**Izzy**

speaking of fire impressions... I'm going to say that when me and Izzi first met, I come back with a red mark on my arm that didn't fade for a couple of hours. But anyway- most times it might be better to pursue what doesn't seem possible. Otherwise, I'd be sitting here (bored out of my ever loving mind) and I might have never gotten this story started. That, and I would have no one to make me laugh, or worry about. Seriously, I am probably the only person on earth that is concerned about izzi and her life. And yes, I'm sorta terrified at the thought of her sitting behind the wheel of the car.-**Heflo**

): I could almost swear that's an Asian joke. But hey, at least someone cares for my well being. I got lost on the way to the park in my backyard once. No, seriously. There's a forest, and then there's the park, so technically, I got lost in the forest. Ugh, rambling again. VOTE NOW. Check our homepage for an avatar couples poll. We want your honest opinion. We're gonna be writing more soon, of this and another story, though updating might be a bit slower than usual due to izzy's moving and heflo's life. So keep watching. **-Izzy**


	6. Dropping Hints and Foreshadowing

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own any characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor do we own the show. We're simply writers manipulating them for our own twisted, fictitious use.

* * *

**

Katara rested her head against the wall. Today, her shift had gone by much faster than she had expected it to, in all honesty. Things had gone smoothly, without any major interruption, accidents, or mistakes. The person substituting for Aang was doing a fine job, as well. The other waitresses had left with smiles on their faces, laughing and chatting in pairs as Katara had gone to the restroom.

Tiredly, she cast a glance at her cell phone. No messages, no missed calls. With a heavy heart, the girl sat down on of the couches. She told Jet that she'd clean up tonight; it was only fair to him since she owed him that much. She'd finished up over an hour ago, but she didn't feel like leaving. Staring up at the beautiful dragon, she silently questioned why she felt so much confusion and anxiety. She leafed through the books, hesitating. She felt like she was being watched. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled, and she could feel the urge to bend hit her full force. A camera was cleverly placed behind one of the plants, hidden among the leafy branches with a clear view to everything that happened in this room. The only reason she knew that was because she had accidently knocked it over once when she'd hit it with a ladder. She'd been changing light bulbs that day. This was when she was new and they didn't fully trust her in the kitchen. Actually, they never trusted_ any _newbies in the kitchen. Jet and Zuko had seriously been exceptions.

So placing the books carefully in her new, over sized bag, she slung it over her shoulder. There were just a few more things to check up on before she could lock up for the night and leave to go to her apartment. The windows secure, the doors locked, and the heat sources off, Katara made sure she hadn't forgotten anything. The water bender put the shiny brass key into her inner jeans pocket. She'd gotten it months ago, one day it came in the mail with her name on it. The address was a post office nearby, so she couldn't tell who sent it. The only reason she was allowed to do this was because obviously she was trusted enough not to steal or vandalize anything. Jet had a key too, as she found out a few days after meeting him.

Apparently, he knew the owner very well, being a close friend for a while and all that. She had shaken her head in annoyance when he had told her that the Boss was closer than she knew. Jet always kept up a steady stream of hints, none of which she understood. Katara told him to stop bluffing, her back facing his. He'd placed his hand on her shoulder. She could hear the frown in his voice when he spoke. 'I was serious, Katara, you've met him.' _When, high school?_ She wanted to retort. She knew Jet in high school, too, but it wasn't like they were actually close or on good terms then. Back in those days, Katara was just as good as a nobody. Even Sokka was known! The stupid, sarcastic genius and class clown. Ugh.

Though, thinking back to what Jet told her, she wondered who he could have meant.

Katara shook her head as she grabbed the container marked 'fish food'. Closing the supply closet's door, she turned around to go finish her last chore. The building's soft lights shone brightly as she looked around. The plants were manicured perfectly, not a single thing out of place. The entire restaurant lay on five acres right behind the busy city, and most of its landscape that was beautifully kept. In the back, gardens were lavishly blooming, and trees blocked out the outside world. Katara almost never had the chance to come back here, because she was too busy to really slip away from her responsibilities. The fountains gurgled as it flowed over the rocks, landing into the ponds below. Koi fish circled, swimming up to the edge as they spotted Katara.

It wasn't that they liked her in particular. The fish just liked the person with the food bucket. They used to have tons of fish, various species. Until someone fed "Chef" Shang's biscuits to them. They were all gone a week later. The day after she mentioned it to Jet while cooking a skillet over a low flame, new Koi fish had been placed in their new home, happily thriving.

She scattered the pellets around, making sure they all got some. She sighed, wishing that she didn't have to walk all the way back home. The light bouncing off of the water was rather entrancing, and Katara found herself staring at it intently until she heard a silky voice.

"Beautiful moon tonight."

Quickly whirling around, Katara's eyes widened, she placed a hand on her heart, startled. Zuko stood with his hands in his pockets, leaning casually against a tree. His gaze was turned upward, towards the sky. Katara's eyes had adjusted to the moonlight, but there was no excuse for him being able to sneak up on her.

She turned back to the pond, giving the hungry fish a little more. When they found no more, they turned tail, swimming beneath the darkened water. One day, she was going to come back here when there was daylight, and see what it the pond looked like then. She glanced up, completely aware of the full moon. No clouds dared cover its brilliance, the stars twinkled more in number than normal. Katara felt a wave of longing as her eyes closed, the urge she was resisting uncomfortable because of the might of its pull. How long had it been since she'd bended for the fun of it? The air was cool, and so clean that it almost sparkled. Breathing in the sweet night time air, she felt the moon's strength hum above, ready to lend her its power if asked.

Silently, Zuko moved beside her, still gazing at the night time sky. She felt his warmth and suddenly wondered if it was just him or it was his ability to bend. Remembering back, she recalled his heat when they were in close proximity. It was nice, actually. Above the scent of honeysuckle and gardenia, she could smell a different scent. It wasn't flower, like the rest of the air around her – it was a slight and enticing scent. Musky, like burnt wood, but there was something much sweeter, unlike any cologne she's ever smelled. It reminded her of a fire. Katara found it ironic, but it suited him.

Minutes later, she wondered what had possessed the golden eyed man to wait for her. The water bender had gladly accepted his offered ride, but she still didn't know why he did it. She had told him she'd just put the fish feed up, and she'd be right back. There with the door open, he had pulled up to the front, waiting in his luxurious sports car. By the time they had pulled out of the parking lot, she questioned whether or not he knew where he was going.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

Katara shook her head. She was actually, but he was being too nice already. She didn't want him to go out of his way to —

Her stomach growled, loudly. Blushing, she looked accusingly down at the traitor. She glanced up at Zuko, wondering what would happen. His eyebrows shot up, seconds passed and then he turned back to watching the road. Katara didn't see the left side of his mouth turn up – she could only see his profile from the passenger seat. She shook her head again, firmly this time, telling him he didn't have to stop. Growling in discontent, her stomach disapproved, imploring to be fed. Her eyes widened. If her brother started rubbing up on her —

And then he laughed. Shocked, she gaped at him. His body was shaking with silent fits of laughter; his lips were pressed into a straight line, waving, occasionally, as he struggled not to smile. Glancing sideways at her, his golden eyes were twinkling, filled with amusement. From the passenger seat, she abruptly questioned where the impassive fire bender she'd first met had gone. As if to silently prod him further, her stomach spoke up again, causing Zuko to burst of with laughter.

"You are not helping!" she desperately said at her stomach, clutching it in hopes it's grouchiness would subside. Zuko was shaking with mirth, his laughter quite musical. Even Katara smiled a bit and committed the sound to memory.

Minutes – they felt like hours – passed before he wiped the corners of his eyes, and smiled down on her. She froze, unsure. Perhaps she was seeing a new side of insanity, she thought. First it plays nonchalant, then twists around and drops its shield a little, then it goes completely whacky on you and nearly kills you in a car crash.

Although it was a bit different than what she was used to, it made him seem softer, more approachable when he smiled. He was actually quite handsome, she decided. It took her breath away when his face softened, his golden, honey colored eyes placid as she caught his gaze.

"You should smile more." She spoke softly, without thinking, but she didn't actually regret saying it out loud.

His eyes softened, but the sparkle was still there. He stopped the car's engine as he parked beneath the glowing yellow arches of McDonald's. Before she could as much as move a finger, he leaned in. Only inches away from her face, he kept a steady gaze on her eyes. She sat completely still, her breathing rate increasing.

What was he — ?

Katara's heart began to beat in her ears as his arm began to wrap her, but not quite making contact. Sapphire eyes widening, she opened her mouth to ask, but with a gentle ease, he pulled her hair tie away, letting the once tamed waves fall free. He lifted a lock, rubbing it between his fingers, as if testing how far he could get without her stopping him.

"And you," he smirked, "should leave you hair down more."

--

With her belly plenty full and her home surrounding her, she gave a contented sigh. She silently placed her gratitude to Zuko, because he hadn't reasoned with her. She had given up trying to argue at that point, because she didn't want to see that beautiful smile dissolve. Katara noticed in the car that he tended to smirk, more than actually smile, so it appeared crooked. It didn't make the appeal any less though. The water bender didn't exactly miss that single dimple, either...

She had gotten a small cheeseburger and parfait, but that didn't stop him from adding more, did it? A regular burger, two shakes (one large one medium), and an extra large order of fries. This late at night, the employees had almost turned them away, but Zuko had given them his infamous glare and off they scrambled to complete his wishes. Katara hadn't realized how disappointed she felt when she saw the beautiful smile leave his face. Only a few minutes later, his Lamborghini drove away from the closing building and sped away for her apartment.

Whatever might have made the transaction with his behavior, she couldn't guess. One thing she did know was that she was thankful for it either way. They had eaten their food, finishing off the shakes. The fries had been shared, and she had been satisfied at the steps forward. He spoke more then she'd ever heard from him since she'd known him and his stoic mask was no more. But when the food had all been eaten, he had taken his leave.

It had been a pleasant night, but Katara found herself wishing it would never end. She smiled and waved goodbye as the silver Lamborghini "Gallardo Superleggera", as he had called it, drove away.

Aang still wasn't back. It had been three days and her worry was telling her she ought to be doing something about it. The only thing she could do now was wait. He had promised he'd be back, so she could only hope he was fine. Katara honestly trusted him, even if she wanted to yell at his childish stupidity.

Sometimes, with Aang's childish personality, even now, she forgot who he was, and what he was capable of. They never got into major fights, but simple quarrels, like siblings did. Katara, although she'd never admit it, was afraid of the tattooed airbender, for fear of what he was capable. Only a few times before had she seen his fury, glad it wasn't directed towards her.

Shivering, Katara picked up her trash, throwing it away in the almost full trash bin under the sink. She tidied up a bit around the already spotless apartment. When she worried, the first thing she did was keep her hands busy, even if it didn't fully occupy her mind. In the last two days, she had cleaned her apartment three times. Heck, she probably could have repainted if she wanted to.

She turned out the lights, and did her nightly routine. Her room was clean, and her soft covers were calling her. She took a fatigued, fleeting look at her room. Her walls were painted a pale blue, the sapphire colored curtains closed. Her desk lamp sat on top of a cheap wooden desk she had since college. Her new purse was hanging on the back of the matching wood chair. The small nightstand beside her bed was bare except for an alarm clock and two pictures.

Katara smiled sadly – one was of her, Aang, and Sokka back in high school, not long after Dad brought Aang home and left once again for the military. The other was a rather large group picture. Aang was in the middle, smiling happily with Sokka beside him, both of them giving the same goofy grin. Katara was beside Sokka in midsentence, her mouth open in a small 'o' shape, probably scolding her two brothers. Suki was beside Katara, a hand over her mouth to conceal a grin, but her eyes and upturned cheeks gave it away. Toph was on the other side of Aang, turned away from the camera, scowling.

Those were the better days, when there wasn't as much to worry about. Toph and Aang were freshmen, Sokka, Katara, and Suki seniors. That was the year she was supposed to be in eleventh, but excellent grades and studying allowed her to skip her eighth grade year.

Moving azure eyes away from the two memories, they wandered around the tidy (tiny) room – until finally landing on a large, wooden bookshelf that reached the top of the ceiling. There were plenty of books she had in line, waiting to be read. Occasionally, the thought of dropping them off at a thrift store somewhere occurred to her, but most of them she hadn't the time to read, and the ones she had read were usually too good to let go.

She sat on her bed for a few moments, staring at the dusty bookshelf. She bought it right after her and Aang bought the apartment, but it looked ancient – covered with a fine layer of dust. Katara finally decided to get up and pick up a random book she had bought a while back. Heh, Pride and Prejudice. She vaguely remembered trying to read this, but she never had the time to finish.

Looking around, Katara smiled at herself. Well, Aang wasn't here. Although she would probably feel bad about it a small while later, the girl decided it was time to do something nice for herself. After a quick, refreshing shower, she took the book and put it on her bed. Quickly fetching her jarred candles, she put one on top of her small nightstand, one on the rather large window sill, snuggled up under the covers, and began to entrance herself with a world different from her own. She read until her eyes drooped, her candles were flickering out, and her little zone of comfort was slowly slipping away...

--

Four days. Aang had waited four days to call her. He'd left an extremely short clarification, wistfully said as his voice was muted by the surrounding noise.

"Kat, it's me. Sorry that I couldn't reach you earlier — should be home by tonight or tomorrow morning. Hope you're not mad or anything. I had to – Hey! Stop that — "

Upon waking up, she found that her candles had burned out, both of them completely used up. Her book lay beside her, her place dog eared. A soft smile had graced her lips until the flashing cell phone screen had gotten her attention.

When Aang got home… there would be duct tape and a serious lecture involved. Hastily, she made breakfast. Scrambled eggs and a bland slice of toast to wolf down. She capriciously grabbed a pair of clothes as she rushed to the bathroom, took a quick shower, and tried to make herself presentable. Shaking her dark waves, she wondered why she didn't just go to the corner store and grab more hair ties. Ah, that's right. She_ had_ tried. As soon as she woke up the other morning, a frowny face was scribbled on a sticky note where her hair ties should have been. The ones she had hidden were gone too. Darn her loving family. She should have never given Sokka the key.

Locking the door, she shoved the keys in her pocket. She tied her shoe strings, and jogged her way to the corner store. She paid for her things, jogging back to her apartment. Dropping them off, she balled up the plastic bags, taking the stairs two at a time. Living on the fourth floor of an older apartment complex had its advantages and disadvantages. One being that she stayed in great shape and any intruders would a chaotic time tripping down four flights of stairs with obstacles while she caught up with them. With a steady tempo, she went to the park, dropping the bags in the recycling bin.

Taking a breather, she sat down on a bench, watching other people go around the crowded park. Little children playing, a few women power walking their dogs were scattered about. A normal Friday, Katara told herself. An older lady sat beside her, with a small bag full of bird seed in her hand, dispersing it while pigeons pecked at the ground. Small children squealed in delight as they played and romped. Mothers sat on benches on the other side of a swing set and slid. An older man was walking his haughtily loud dog, its little form no bigger than a few inches off the ground.

"Care to have your fortune read?"

Katara turned her attention to the vibrantly dressed woman. Her clothing was a startling yellow and wine colored combo, bright purple make-up surrounding her old eyes. Her hair was graying, but seemed right on the elderly woman. Giving her a shrug, she sighed, "Why not?" The lady nodded, asking Katara to hold out her hands. Doing so, she watched the woman study her palms.

"Do you use moisturizer? Your hands are so smooth, Katara."

"How do you know my name?"

"I'm an old woman, I know quite a lot." Her red lips quirked, "My name is Aunt Wu." Huh. When she mentioned the 'old' part, Katara thought a small bit of Iroh.

"Well, I use a seaweed lotion, actually."

A few minutes passed before Aunt Wu announced, "I have seen into your life, child, what would you like to know?"

Contemplating, Katara wondered if this lady was for real or not. She hadn't asked for money nor had she asked for anything else, so she must be an honest person. How else would she have known her name?

"Do you see anything about my family?" Katara mused.

Aunt Wu's finger traced her right palm before running it over her left one. "Your brother isn't going to find out about his baby until next month, dear. Has he always been so oblivious?" she frowned, tsking under her breathe. "Your favorite dessert is a strawberry cheesecake with M&M's. Child, promise me you'll eat some soon for me. My doctor says I can't have sweets at the moment. You will encounter your other sibling at work, and be prepared for a reunion. Good, good — you got more milk."

Katara gasped.

"How can you tell that from looking at my hands?" she uneasily shrank back. If this Aunt Wu knew that, then she could easily know the rest of Katara's life. Could someone know that from simple lines? How much more did she know about Katara? The women laughed, as if reading her thoughts as well...

"Don't worry, dear, I get that from all first timers. Is there anymore you wish to know?"

Katara warily thought about it. This lady knew what she was talking about. There was no way she could have known about the baby. She wasn't even sure if Suki knew yet, and she was the one in for eight more months of torture.

"What will I need to know?" she asked.

Raising her eyebrows, Aunt Wu gave her quizzical stare. "Smart girl. I foresee a great romance for you. The man you're going to marry, I can see he'll be a very powerful bender. Be careful nonetheless; keep in mind that not everything you see is as it seems."

With that, Aunt Wu stood up, dropping Katara's hands. The yellow and purple clad fortune teller placed the rest of the bird seed in her hands, closing Katara's fingers around the bag. Aunt Wu gave the waterbender a small, knowing smile. Then, she turned away, her clothing swishing around her as heels clicked behind her.

Cocking her head, the figure disappeared around a corner. Katara looked downward; a bird had perched on her shoe, its eye trained on her hands. Shaking her head, she pulled out a handful of seed and tossed it out.

--

She got to work early, waiting for Aang. Opening her locker, she found a new uniform, in her size exactly. Thanking whatever higher power, she made a beeline for the employee restroom. Noise was starting to rise, however, as the early comers arrived.

She was so lucky she worked in a place that had clean bathrooms. The bathroom actually had two sections. One with stalls and sinks, and the other portion contained a giant wall mirror and a section for reapplying powder. She assumed that it was an older style, but didn't really care at the moment. She changed in front of the mirrors, grateful she had come when no one else was in there.

Walking out, she went over to the bar. Unfortunately, Aang wasn't there. His substitute asked if she needed help, but she shook her head and went to the kitchen.

Swinging the doors open, she went to work right alongside the others, not saying a word. The night blurred together as she thought about what Aunt Wu had said. A sharp pain in her thumb made her return to reality. A sharp intake of breathe, and she realized how careless she had been. While her head had been off in the clouds, she had missed the carrot and sliced her finger. Staring at it, the blood dripped drop by drop.

Zuko was suddenly there, wrapping her bleeding hand in a wash cloth. Looking up at him, she watched him as he led her to the sink. Her turned the warm tap on to gently washed her hand. As soon as the water touched the cut, the water glowed, catching the others attention.

He dried her hand off and brought it closer for inspection. Frowning, his angry eyes narrowed, turned in her direction. Confused, Katara shrunk back. He let go as soon as he noticed everyone watching him. And like that, he was out of the kitchen.

"Sorry about that." She desperately assured them, "Now, we've got food to cook. Who wants to make strawberry cheese cake?"

People gave her a disbelieving look, wondering if she was alright. She ignored the 'are you stupid?' look, pretending that they were smiling as if nothing had happened.

A toothpick in his mouth, Jet wrapped an arm around her, a funny look on his face. He glanced down at her hand, making sure it was alright before her began.

"Hey, how come you never told me you and Zuko had a thing? Isn't that leaving me in the dark?" he frowned. "I miss everything good."

Blue eyes widened as she realized what he meant. "Nothing is going on, Jet." She snapped. Turning away from him. A minute later, her tone softened. "Why do you think that?"

She saw Jet roll his eyes. The sneer in his voice was apparent.

"I've never seen Zuko so protective of someone, Katara. You do one little thing, and he's already taking care of the problem." Shaking his dark locks, he patted her head. "But hey," he chuckled, "it's not like either of you would last or anything. How could it? A water bender and a fire bender? Come on—you and I would be a better couple. He doesn't deserve someone like you, honey. Besides, it's not like he wants you, he could have anything in the world. Your low paying job like this is nowhere in the league that Zuko—"

She slapped him. His head jerked back with the force. Furiously, she formed a blade of ice in her palm. Before he could move, she had it resting on his pulse in his neck. The look on his face casually confused, one eye brow raised. She knew better. His pulse was soaring and a bead of sweat threatening to fall down the side of his face. She was sick of his _I'm-holier-than-thou_ attitude. He was charismatic. Every one fell for him hook, line, and sinker. Not her though. The snarky comments, the upturned nose, the distain in his tone when 'lower' people left hearing distance. The attitude she could take, but not when it was directed at someone else.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked her, his voice low.

She whispered, so only he could hear. "Ever thought of what a water bender can do, you stupid jerk? Something you should know is that you will _never _insult my friends. Zuko is a kind person, something you'll never be. You're jealous of him, aren't you?" she apprehended. "Aren't you supposed to be his friend, Jet?"

His eyes widened as she glared at him. Katara released him, disgusted. She moved to the sink, washing her hands of the incident. "I should freeze you to tree, you know that?" She retorted, her eyes angry slits as the knife made loud sounds on the cutting board.

He rubbed his neck, silently relieved she hadn't slipped. "You know," he admitted, "That's why I like you, Kat. You don't need anyone to pamper you." There was a slight pause in his speech, and a nearly inaudible sigh. "Yet you have one of the most powerful men in the world curled around your finger and you don't even know it."

* * *

**H-** Sorry for the wait, everyone. Moving can be a pain. Especially when it's over 1,200 miles. After chapter ten is posted, things will slow down a bit-- but not to worry! I promised to finish this fic, whether I stay sane or not. Poor izzi. The day it's official, no one will give me a second glance walking down the street. The good news is that it hasn't come to that yet, so coffee is sweet and the comments are welcomed, so read and review, people.

Notice. Once chapter ten is put up, there will be a chance of a surprise. No offence, but I don't really care if you want it or not. Just keep your eyes open for when it comes.

**I- **Wow, bluntness :D Erg, super sorry guys. I just got my computer unpacked, but there's no internet so I have to transfer my cpu files to a flashdrive to laptop. Since the ONLY thing this laptop has is 'net and games, my cpu has photoshop and all my other files :d Chapter seven, coming up!


	7. How About A Slowdance?

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own any characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor do we own the show. We're simply writers manipulating them for our own twisted, fictitious use.

* * *

**

_**Recap: **He rubbed his neck, silently relieved she hadn't slipped. "You know," he admitted, "That's why I like you, Kat. You don't need anyone to pamper you." There was a slight pause in his speech, and a nearly inaudible sigh. "Yet you have one of the most powerful men in the world curled around your finger and you don't even know it."_

Katara's eyes widened. Now that was something she wasn't expecting. Opening her mouth, she tried to ask Jet what he meant. The doors swung open, catching her attention. Standing in the door way were two people, with smiling faces. It took a moment before she realized who they were.

"Toph!" Katara squealed. She sprang forward, grasping her in a hug. Katara felt Toph squeeze her back before she heard, "Hey, Ice Princess, you don't have to go all mushy on us."

With a laugh, Katara pulled back, looking down at her old friend. She hadn't changed a bit. Loose, black jeans that covered her bare feet, a cute fitting green shirt, head band with puffy things… Her porcelain skin looked delicate under the lighting, but Katara knew how rough this girl could be. Her jet black hair was pulled back, as usual. Bangs fell in front of her face, hiding her milky sea green eyes. Katara hadn't ever thought she'd miss the blind earth bender so much.

She was so absorbed in the reunion that she didn't see Jet as he shook his head behind her, muttering. "Ice Princess, that's a new one." Toph gave a slight smirk when she heard. Aang shot the brunette a glare as the two old friends conversed.

"Sorry it took us so long to get here; Transportation is so slow these days." Toph leaned on Aang, 'inspecting' her nails. Katara smiled. This girl's attitude was one in a million. The height difference between her and Aang was hilarious, even though they were nearly the same age. In high school, Toph and Aang would be the same height, until one grew a few inches, and the other outgrew those inches… Like a constant competition. One of the things that would never change, they were the ones that would do the wildest things, and come home laughing. Speaking of home, Katara remembered why she was mad at Aang.

"Sweetness, it's not Aang's fault this time, I promise you." The earthbender said quickly, apparently sensing Katara's sudden tense posture. "I asked him to come get me, so therefore," Toph pointed a finger at the wall closest to Katara, "I will take the bashing."

Trying to keep a straight face, Katara accusingly shook her head. The bashing would have to wait. The last time she and Toph had sparred, they had almost destroyed one of the local arenas. They had both loved the thrill of it, but the costs of repairs were too much. Not for Toph, anyway, because she'd handed them her card, and they had walked out of there with respect and awe.

"Toph needs a place to stay, is it alright if she crashed at our place?" Aang asked. Katara sighed. She didn't even have to look at her brother. There was no way she could resist the puppy pout, no matter how hard she tried. Glancing at the wall clock instead, she waved her hand.

"I don't see why not, since you came this way." She said to the younger girl, smiling. "Besides, it'll be like old times, won't it?"

--

Toph left the restaurant, whistling happily. _It was probably late night by now,_ the blind girl thought. The blind earth bender traveled around the city - mostly the deserted regions. It was so much easier to navigate around when there weren't cars and freight trucks zooming by. Toph could feel everything - the rumble of distant locomotives, the sewage system under her feet, the fights going on in a nearby bar... The feel of cement was much different than the grass surrounding her countryside summer home.

Sighing, she stopped and pointed her eyes skyward. Wind blew through her dark bangs as she breathed in the crisp, clean air. Her parents suddenly popped into mind. She hadn't seen them since moving out at the age sixteen. Well, 'seen' wasn't quiet the right word, more like… been within a mile radius.

They'd been supporting her through a personal bank account they created before she was born. Since then, she'd been traveling around, exploring distant lands. It seemed like only yesterday when she was forced to leave her friends when she was a sophomore, but she couldn't ever fully bring herself to regret her decision, although she did think about how it could have affected her parents. She had almost no contact with them, but did that make her a bad person?

Since she left, she had seemed to remember things more easily - her parents' birthdays, their anniversary, their friends birthdays... She sent three cards every year to let them know she was alive and well, but it never disclosed any other information. Sighing, Toph shook her head as she began walking. It seemed a bit chilly for this time of the year. She felt somewhat underdressed with just a thin tank top on, but at least her jeans were thick. The earth bender shivered, until she felt wet drops on her skin. Thunder rolled as the vibrations rumbled in protest of the storm.

Ugh, great timing. She retreated under the front of the nearest shop, it seemed to be devoid of customers for the moment. In the store was a heavyset man, and she wouldn't have recognized if he hadn't opened the door and spoken to her.

"Ah, well, it's been quite a while since I've seen you," the old man said. Toph gasped and jumped up. She was never good with formal greetings.

"Uncle Iroh! You're still in this old town? I thought you had more sense than to stay here for this long," the blind earth bender joked. He chuckled heartily as he hugged the small female back. It had been a while since the two had seen each other – or rather, since Iroh's seen her. Toph had never really 'seen' anything. Before she fully left town to travel, she had stumbled upon him, once. She was hiding out when he came walking by. An old man in an alleyway, alone. Girls could never be too careful when it came to the city. After a small misunderstanding, he had given her some great advice (and some good tea), and she found herself opening up to this wise old stranger (who introduced her to good tea). She promised to visit him, of course, but it just took a bit longer than expected.

"There are more things than just location that's kept me here," he told her sagely. Toph nodded, knowingly. Shivering once more, the aged fire bender told her to come inside. Knowing that whatever ensued was going to take a while, she pulled out a sleek Motorola and hit the off button. As he made hot tea, Jasmine, the two talked about everything: distant parents; isolated nephews; burning some bridges; making new friends; growing skills; weakening memories... The list went on and on. They caught up on their past until after midnight, when Toph's eyelids threatened to close on her.

--

Katara, along with Aang, called Toph's cell phone — receiving her answering machine. Aang was the one who suggested she get a cell phone. Once the earthbender found, or rather felt, something she liked, she paid the company to have it specially designed. A long lasting blue tooth, with numbers slightly poking out, and voice command. It was a miracle she had one at all. With a muttered curse Katara and a certain airbender left the restaurant. Their shifts were over. Toph said she would be back soon, but there was no sign of younger girl. The airbender had set his watch, syncing it with Katara's, and they had separated. Now sometime after two in the morning, Katara rounded the back streets of the city. She'd been everywhere but there was still no sign of her friend. Aang had called moments ago, telling her he hadn't found her either. Despite a small bit of humidity, it was a pleasant night. It had rained earlier, puddles spotted the ground.

Katara spent another half hour walking before she came upon Iroh's house. Well it wasn't like she had anything better to do. Testing the door, she found it open. Katara was frowning when she walked in. He really needed to lock his doors. She hoped that an old man's tea shop wouldn't ever have to serve for an assassin's rendezvous point.

"Uncle?" she called out. The front room was dark, empty except the furniture. A light, faintly peeking under a door way, lit her way. She knocked softly, hoping he was awake.

"Ice Princess?" a voice groggily called out. Katara blinked. No, there was no way.

"Toph? What are you doing here?" Katara opened the door, finding her younger friend with her older friend. Iroh looked up, giving her a pleasant smile. Toph looked up from her resting place, her eyes half open, unseeing. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up.

"What are _you_ doing here?" the younger girl accused.

"Now, now," Iroh chuckled. Rising, he stretched, his joints cracking as he moved. Smiling, he nodded at Katara to sit down. Doing so, she glanced from one person to the other.

"Uncle," Katara scolded, "You really ought to be in bed by now."

"Now why would I do that when I have two beautiful women keeping me company?" If Katara hadn't known and loved the man, she would have slapped him. "What time is it?" he questioned.

Checking her cell phone, she replied, "Two thirty."

With that, Toph jerked awake. She stood up and stared in Iroh's direction. Emotionless, she shook her head. Toph moved towards the door, bumping Katara.

"It looks like I over stayed my welcome. We'll be leaving now."

Katara apologized to the aging firebender, telling him to _please_ get some rest. Frowning, he pouted. Katara smiled at him and rolled her eyes. The aged bender waved goodbye as the two opened the shop's front door.

"Lock the door behind us, Uncle." Katara pleaded. If she woke up one morning and found him in the obituary, it would have been all her fault that the kind man had welcomed a serial killer in for Jasmine or Green.

--

As soon as they arrived to Katara's apartment, Toph fell on Katara's bed, dead to the world. Light snoring made Katara smile as she made her way to the phone. She'd forgotten how Toph and Sokka could have a serious competition going on, each one trying to over snore the other without even being awake. Yawning, Katara had picked up the phone and dialed Aang.

"Hello?" He picked up on the first ring.

"We're at the apartment. You can come home now."

"What? You could've told me that ear-" Katara quickly disconnected before he could rant, setting the phone on the table. She opened her closet, taking out pajamas. Changing, she threw her clothes in the laundry basket.

She pulled an older, unused blanket from her closet, climbing on the couch. Lights out, she closed her eyes. Just as she had fallen asleep, the door to the apartment burst open, rudely awakening her. Groaning, she rolled over, pulling the blanket over her head.

"Oops. Sorry…" Aang whispered.

The world faded away, Katara slept.

--

The sound of arguing made her wake up, their voices rising. Now in the upright position, she listened, the noise coming from Aang's room. She yawned as she set the coffee machine running and headed in their general direction.

"What's wrong this time?" she asserted. It had been almost three and a half weeks since Toph had come to stay with them and she was_ still_ there, hogging Katara's room. The last time she'd woken up without a sore back and not on the couch had been when she'd been alone for those few precious days. Man, they _really _needed a new couch. If anything, she should have never fretted over her missing brother. She should have taken it as an opportunity to go to a spa, relax, and prepare for the next few grueling weeks.

"Toph won't let me have the remote!" Aang shouted. He looked ready to put a hole in the wall, his fists clenching as Katara watched on.

Frowning, Katara looked at the hilarious arrangement they had come to be. Aang was struggling, his cheek pressed against the carpet. Toph straddled him whilst casually keeping his face down with her size 5 feet, nonchalantly changing the channels. Both still had on their night clothes, as if they had woken up for the cause of fighting only. Toph had on one of her overly large green shirts and yellow shorts—both too big for her slight frame. The air bender's pajama pants were a faded orange, torn and jagged, fraying at the bottom. Katara had once offered to fix them, but he had given her a smiling 'no'. It was his problem, let him fix it. And did he? Nope.

"Isn't a bit odd for a blind person to watch television, Toph?" Katara commented.

"Technically," Toph mused, "I'm listening.

Rolling her eyes, Katara left the two fighting. "Play nice, kids." She exited the small room, sleepily rubbing her eyes. Things only got worse when she tried to intervene, so letting them deal with it by themselves made her life easier, if not a tiny bit quieter if that was possible. Every day was similar to this one, in fact. She'd wake up. Her roommates would argue all afternoon over simple and stupid things, she'd tune them out the best she could. She'd have lunch in silence at the park or with Iroh, sharing his time and his tea. She'd go to work with a tired Aang, come home, sleep and start the cycle all over in the morning.

Pouring coffee into a mug, Katara fetched the paper, scanning it for anything of much interest. After laying it on the table, she downed the rest of the liquid, washing and returning the mug to its place. Going to her room, she shook her head. Toph had made herself completely at home, it seemed. The room itself was intact, but it now had traces of the earth bender showing here and there. Scratched CD player on the floor (iPods aren't easy to use when you're blind, Toph once remarked), size A bra stuffed in the corner, faded jeans hanging on the edge of the bed. Katara grabbed a pair of old jeans — ones that had survived since high school, surprisingly. And it was the only pair of jeans that had been safe from Suki's tactics. The reason why? She'd been wearing them when Sokka had taken away the rest of her clothing.

She searched for a clean shirt, grabbing a soft blue shirt that had pretty white swirls spiraling from her side, wrapping about to her back. Something Suki had forced her to buy, and she was just now wearing it. Picking up her brush, she quickly ran it down her hair, pulled on a pair of shoes, and headed out for her afternoon walk. She loved her family, but this much of them was really nerve grinding.

Work had gone well. She had finally found a comfortable contentment with Jet — they got along just fine, but certain subjects were avoided completely. Her other coworkers were polite and respectful towards her. Aang was showing improvement behind the bar, being more in tune with his surroundings. Zuko and she had come to an understanding, their friendship slowly but surely growing.

Sokka had flipped off the deep end when Suki finally told him. Katara had gone over there to try to calm him down, ending up with a migraine and his spontaneous yelling. The fortune teller had been right, too, it had been a month exactly when he had found out. Suki had asked her to be the god mother. Katara immediately knew that her niece would be a bender. Her brother was saying that his son could be a warrior like his dad when he was born. She knew she was right about this because fate had a way of giving Sokka grief. She'd be happy as long as Sokka eventually married his girlfriend and became a good father. She only had one request for Suki – don't let the child have weapons until adolescence or later. Just the thought of Sokka giving his baby weapons for a birthday gift...

She shivered. When Sokka was six, Dad bought him a toy gun. One of those with cork at the end, and they popped out and made a loud sound when you pulled the thing back. He went around shooting everyone he could. Katara frowned. She was only four. Gran Gran said that was the first time she'd ever gotten a black eye.

Katara spent an hour walking in the park, afterwards returning to an empty apartment. A note had been left on the door saying she could to go to work, they'd be fine. Katara quickly threw it away and found a discarded sheet of paper.

_**Guys,**_

_**I'll be gone for a little bit. There are a few leftovers in the fridge.**_

_**Love, K.**_

She decided to practice her bending. She locked up the apartment, heading out to the arenas. In this time of life, arenas had been set up for benders only. They were allowed to practice at any time of the day or night, with open admission to whatever and whenever their liking.

Katara was a master in a foreign land. She had been born in the South Pole, had lived there until Aang had come into the picture. The day her dad had brought the airbender to their home, he had told them they were moving. So she Sokka, and Aang had been shipped off to her Gran-Gran in the earth kingdom. There, she had begged her grandmother for years to let her travel north for the summer break. Reluctantly, her grandmother had let her go when she graduated. Once in the North Pole, Katara had been outraged to discover that the master wouldn't take her as his pupil — just because she was female.

She had challenged him and almost won. From her prison of ice, she had tugged and pulled at the make shift bars, yelling for him to fight her until she was through. Her necklace had fallen off during their fight, landing at Master Pakku's feet. She could still remember what he had told her. "This is my necklace; I carved this sixty years ago for the love of my life, Kanna."

After that, she had spent the summer learning under him. He was a good teacher, and she'd been a good pupil. Or so he had told her. She was also the first girl to get this honorary title in the Northern tribe. The other female water benders had been taught to channel their bending into healing, a more common practice for them. She had done a few lessons, but hadn't carried on with them. Something she regretted now. But Katara knew that if she were to go back there, the system would still be the same. She had been the sole exception.

None of the guys her age had taken interest in her up there, she had been painfully aware of at the time. The benders were either skeptical or fearful of her; the warriors had scoffed, saying she belonged in the healing huts with Yuguda. That she should have never been taught to fight. One had told her she would never have kids because no man would want a wife with her skills. Either way, her confidence had been damaged, and had taken years to get right.

Alongside her friends, she had sparred and trained in her standby time, honing her skills. Especially with them specializing in different areas, it had been good practice for them all.

Showing up at a local arena, she found it empty. It was underground and mainly used for things like concerts, tournaments, or sometimes wrestling. Pleasantly surprised, she put her things in one of the side lockers. She pulled of her shoes, placing them in the cubby alongside her bag and clothes. Her simple, white under clothes were ideal for bending. She had been at a clothing store when she saw something similar in the swim suit department that had inspired her. She had looked endlessly around for this one, finding each piece in different locations. With a few minor adjustments, she had used the sewing kit her grandmother had given to her and made the alterations. Skintight, it was ideal for her harder practices. The material was cotton, allowing her skin to breathe, unusual because of its clinginess.

Katara looked at the ground. From the looks of it, someone had seriously pounded the dirt, a pool sized crater left from their session. An idea popped in her head, her mouth tugging into a smile.

She went to the building's locker room, turning on all the faucets and buttons. Water poured out, falling to the floor. She bent the water as it came, directing it to the main arena. Ten minutes later, the hole in the ground was filled, completely full. She turned the running water off, eager to practice. She ran, jumping into the water. Laughing, she came up with a content grin, lazily floating. She climbed out, dangling her feet in the cool water. Surprisingly, the water wasn't draining as fast as she anticipated.

Getting to her feet, she relaxed as she played with her element. She went through her forms, fluidly with single minded focus. For the sheer challenge of it, she tried to remember how her friends did it, trying to copy their movement. Her bending given up for the while, she switched styles.

Aang's were circular and flexible like the wind. The moves she had gotten from Toph were stubborn and to the point — like rock. Suki's style was easy to pick up, because its motion was simply like the graceful dance water bending could be. There were things Katara knew she could never do, she didn't try to tell herself she could. The least she could do was step through the motions as best to her ability as her friends had taught her. If there was one thing she wanted, it would be to keep bending until the day she died.

A burst of heated light caught the corner of her eyes. She dropped to the ground before she realized what happened. Drawing a sphere of water, she shot it at her opponent. He side stepped, smirking. His golden eyes shone with fire, his expression pleased. He applauded her antics, not realizing she was already a step ahead of him. Water fell on him, completely drenching him. She giggled, finding it funny.

Blinking, steam rose from his body, the water evaporated.

"Care to dance?" He called out challengingly, moving closer to her.

"I'd be insulted if you didn't. Sure you're ready to get wet, Zuko?"

* * *

**Izzy -** There we go, seven up and ready to read :3 It's a bit shorter than usual, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter nonetheless. Expect chapters eight and nine within the next three/four days... or less (: Now **review**. . . please?


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own Avatar: The Last Airbenders or any of the characters appearing in the show. We are simply writers manipulating them for our own twisted, fictitious use.**

* * *

She watched him as he removed his shirt, throwing it aside. Katara's mouth dropped. Eyes widening, a blush came to her cheeks. He was beautifully made. His muscles rippled smoothly as he moved with a fluid ease. She knew from before that he was in shape, but still! Shaking her head, Katara bit inside of her cheek. _Pull yourself together! He's your colleague, not some delectable dessert, so stop staring!_

He kicked off his shoes and socks, tying the laces together before they soon followed his red shirt. Straitening, he stepped forward, his stature made her inwardly shrink. His fierce expression wasn't anything new to her, but when it was used in this kind of situation…

Katara opened her stance, copying his. As she waited for him to make the first move energy flowed through out her veins. Golden eyes blinked back at her, filled with a blazing inferno she was curious to see. He punched a burst of fire, flames licked at her bare feet. Yelping, she stumbled back. Was he seriously intent on maiming her? Wary, she focused on his moves, jumping away as he unceasingly came forward with fiery attacks.

"Don't go easy on me, Katara."

_Alright, then_, she thought. Breathing in, she sidestepped to avoid the heat. Breathing out, she formed ice, covering the ground around in an almost invisible sheet. If it didn't melt beneath his feet, she hoped he slipped and landed on his bum. Not that she wanted him to get hurt – heaven _forbid_ if his gorgeous body got injured — it would just to be to slow him down.

Spreading her arms, she weaved through a series of motions, willing the water to follow her guidance. She shifted her weight, rising on the balls of her feet. Katara formed a water whip and neatly shot it forward, curving it at the last second. Zuko dodged with an impressive flip, landing in a crouch. _Show off,_ she frowned. He stood up, running towards her, fire engulfing his hands. Teeth gritted, she went to the water, twisting around. She formed it as she turned, pushing a staggering amount. A shield of fire deflected it as she circled back with another blow.

Furrowing her eyebrows, she raised her hands, causing the water to rise. She pushed it onward; a wave rushing towards him, bits of rocks had accidentally been picked up. He shielded his head with his arms as the water loomed over him, crashing down with a bruising force. Sapphire eyes quickly assessed the situation.

He came back at her, returning her clout with his own. She could feel herself taking another step back for every time he stepped forward. The heat from his body began pushing at her in extreme temperatures, coming too close for comfort. Now only mere inches away, Katara could feel adrenaline spiking as his flaming foot vaulted over her head, scalding the hairs on her head. Playing with fire was proving to be slightly dangerous if not blistering hot. When she had hoped to one day familiarize fighting against her element's opposite, this wasn't anywhere near the idea she had in mind.

Her body vibrating with strain, the muscles beneath her skin coiled, ready for the next move. More than anything, close contact sparring was something she wasn't good at. If it hadn't been for her sardonic blind earthbender, the last few seconds might not have been possible. Jab… block… twist kick… punch… block… step back…. duck away from the fire. _Okay then_, Katara reasoned_, it's alright if you hurt him a tiny bit. You can heal him later._ Goal number one: Don't get burned!

He countered every move she threw, throwing them back with an astounding doubled effort. When her hand brushed his, reminisce of heat rolled off his skin.

Suddenly, she swallowed, a flash back of the day when Aang had accidently burned her. It wasn't much to remember, but the pain was something she'd never forget. Her hands were in agony, tears streaming down her face as she rocked back and forth. Skin charred an angry red, blistering and raw. If she hadn't stumbled across a little water source, her hands might have been left disfigured and gnarled, scared with dead nerve endings. Knowing filled her with terror. She'd never before experienced a real 'fight or flight' moment. Torn between the two, she could feel her body shuddering with unused adrenaline.

Water bending needed room to work with, not spare inches and centimeters. His fist shot by her head and Katara let out a gasp. Twisting away, her felt her bones jar as she bobbed around him and sprinted with all the speed her legs could muster.

Minutes later, they were both breathing hard, neither willing to call it quits. Water dripped from his body, his black hair glistened. His gold eyes shone with intensity that scared her. Her nose flared, her heart beating faster. With a snarl, he bent low to the ground, leaping up with a wave of fire, stray embers crackling — more forming with his every burst of movement. She raised up a wall of water and froze it, her only chance of protecting her body from burns.

Water and fire collided. Steam erupted, shrouding the area. She listened for him, unsure of his location. Katara knew she'd never be able to hide from him and she'd never be able to hear him if he didn't wish it. As quietly as she could, she moved towards where she hoped was the 'pool' she'd made earlier. Holding her breath, she brought her hands closer, ready to defend in a second's notice. The building tension rolled down her spin, the drumming of her heart beat was loud enough that she could swear it was being amplified into a mega phone. A hot breath blew on her neck as his arms went around her. She squeaked, stunned he had gotten to her that quickly. His hard body pressed tightly against her, trapping her.

It had all happened in a matter of seconds.

"It's alright. Calm down." He reassuring said. Minutes passed as her heart slowed down to normal, her breathing matching his. In. Out. The tension was quickly evaporating, like the steam around them. Katara decided to break the silence.

"You're wet."

"Well, I wonder why," he answered sarcastically.

She laughed, amused by the irony. Like that, her enemy vanished, the man returned to being her friend. A drifting consideration snagged her attention. _He's a package deal, alright. Only problem is, would be reeling in the catch. _She stifled a laugh, chiding herimmature thoughts.

Relaxing, she forgot about their fight, focusing on the man behind her. Twisting in his hold, she could make out his face, the steam still hanging heavily. It was rapidly clearing, but it still shadowed the details, blurring out everything but inches in front of her. He released her, but didn't move away.

"What time is it?"

"I wouldn't have a clue. We can be late for once. Besides, Jet won't start a hissy fit because he gets to boss the others around — quite the opposite as a matter of fact."

"You've got a point there. I think his birthday present this year should be a crown and a scepter. Hope he's okay with plastic — it's all I can afford right now." Katara gave a slightly embarrassed chuckle.

"Why?"

"Do you mean the gift or the money? The answer to the budget would be because my family and their lack thereof for concern. My apartment is currently housing two of the world's fanciest spenders. The other two occasionally drop in on the weekends."

"There are two other people living with you?" Zuko's brow furrowed. "I thought you lived alone."  
"No. Unfortunately, my home became theirs when I first let them in." She heaved a sigh, contemplating how much she should tell him. "They fight like a married couple. Let me tell you, sharing is not something they like. This morning it was a remote. Tonight it could be the neighbor's door mat. Tomorrow could be the last grape at the bottom of my fridge." She shook her head with mock disgust.

"Have I met them?"

"I think so. My brother works at the restaurant, actually. Toph is the girl that came by a few weeks ago. You know the one that Aang brought with him?"

"Really? I haven't seen him anywhere," Zuko replied smoothly, silent strength speaking in volumes from his ordinary tone. Now that she'd seen what he could do, in her eyes, he had gained an upper level of respect. He was a firebender with determination and stealth. His prowess matched hers, different but similar at the same time. Katara (grudgingly) told herself that his skill was great, if not a small bit greater than hers.

She understood what he meant. Clearing her throat, she shook her head, swallowing a smile back as his normal frown twitched. "You're thinking of my older baboon of a brother, Sokka. He's the guy you met at the hospital. The one I was referring to is the bartender."

A moment passed as their thoughts ran through their minds, each acutely conscious of the clearing veil of steam. Placing a hand on her hip, she turned away. It was hard telling someone about Aang's past, much less mentioning the tender subject. Not a pleasant thing to live through, she knew because it had happened to her mother. War was something that could happen anytime, anywhere. It never took the time to plan out who lived and died, innocent or guilty.

"Aang isn't your brother. Is he?" he said momentarily shocked.

"Not blood related, but yeah," she paused, "he is."

"I didn't know." His quiet tone carried a twinge of doubt, she noticed it loud and clear, but there was also something hidden that she couldn't quite figure out. Katara smiled sadly at his soft tone. It wasn't the first time someone assumed she and Aang had a 'thing'. Sure, they lived together, but that didn't mean anything. So did just about every other family at one point. Just because they didn't look anything like the other didn't mean she loved him less than her other brother. For years, she'd heard nonstop snip bits of such rumours. It didn't bother her like it used to, but it still made her uncomfortable. Even if she didn't have him as a brother, there was no way she could imagine him as anything else. Katara was his older sister and it would always be that away.

"Trust me, Zuko, he's my little brother. It would be a lie if I said otherwise, thank you very much," she said in a tone slightly more matter-of-factly than she aimed for.

Awkwardly, she shifted from one foot to the other, not knowing what else to say.

"I won, you know." He announced, suddenly changing the subject. Katara saw a smirk creep onto his face. And as much as she'd never say out loud, it looked really sexy. Thinking about it, a warning bell sounded in her mind. Something about those words made her gulp. She smiled nervously, not sure what he'd do.

"Whatever you say, Zuko, the match isn't finished." She alleged lightly.

"Then I have something else in mind."

Confused, Katara turned around to face him. "And what would that be?"

Then abruptly, his lips met hers. She gasped. Rigid, she stood absolutely still. A second passed before he tore away, his touch disappearing completely.

"I'm sorry…" he apologized angrily. Suddenly, she understood. She brought her hands to her mouth, blowing out as she pressed down. Now all she could see was white, nothing else but solid mist obscuring her view.

"It's alright, Zuko." She stepped forward, reaching her hand out.

"No, it wasn't!" he shouted.

Catching his arm, she kept a firm grip, not letting him go. He was tense, but he didn't resist.

"Look," he said frustrated, "That was an accident. Just forget about—"

Smiling gently, she carefully placed a hand on his cheek. Moving in front of him, she felt him tense, unwilling to speak. With a timid caress, she stood up on her tip toes. Closing her eyes, she pressed her lips against his. She started to draw back, but he grabbed her arms, pulling her against him. Lips descended, hard and hungry, capturing her mouth with depraved longing.

Happiness speared her heart, glad that he hadn't pushed her away. She melted, abruptly very aware of the firebender. Boldly, she welcomed him, kissing him with a ferocity she didn't know she had.

Minutes later, they pulled away, out of breath. The mist was gone, nothing covering them. Katara touched her lips, relishing the tingly feeling that came accompanying the memory. It was electric.

"Wow." He gave her a broad grin, gold eyes reflecting her disbelief. His smile knocked the last of the air from her lungs. The world would stop when he smiled like that. It let her know he was capable of feeling. Either way, she would never forget those breath taking smiles he gave her.

Katara nodded, lost for words. She intertwined her hand in his, liking the feel of his roughness against the smoothness of hers.

--

"Are you sure?" she asked.

She'd love to escape from her crowded apartment, but in the mean time, still questioning if she should. One never knew when bantering could get out of hand and level her home. God be willing when she knocked on the door to her brother's apartment saying, 'Can I come live with you? Aang and Toph destroyed the neighborhood.'

"Only if you want to." His voice came from behind her, only a few feet away.

Keeping her hands busy, she cleaned the rest of the kitchen. Tonight had been busy, save being close to hectic. She and Zuko had rushed to work, only to find people frantically cooking away for the mass of customers outside. After the mentioning on the news, the crowd started increasing.

Weeks after their fight in the arena, every night was a full schedule of epic proportions. Since then, she and Zuko would meet twice a week and train together at the conveniently empty arena. And every time, she'd go the day before her roommates did, allowing them space and practice room. The areas were big enough for all of them, but she preferred to have small, quiet sessions. When she would ask Toph how her training went, she'd complain that there were too many people for her liking. That had struck her odd. They all went at the busiest part of day, one day difference. Only when she went, she had it all to herself, no interruptions or anything. A shirtless Zuko was usually the distraction, a nice one, but still a distraction. It had taken a while to get her heated embarrassment to simmer down. For the sake of her flushed face, she pictured Master Pakku in his old man jeans. That would make her shudder with disgust and no blush would stain her cheeks for the world to see.

She'd casually asked him why he insisted on taking his shirt off, and he'd countered right back at her. Katara remembered her face heating up rapidly. She'd then explained how she needed to have as little hindrance when she water bended. His response had been a curt nod, and he'd returned to training.

He was teaching her how to do fight in his explosive type martial arts — no elements included. In return, she was getting his movements synchronized with her adaptable style as best possible. It had been his idea, but he wouldn't tell her why, only that she could use them later on.

When Toph or Aang got back from the same arena, they'd either be pissed off from the wait or gleaming from their victory rounds of unofficial tournaments.

The thing with her was that throwing rocks and chucking boulders at people didn't fall under her things to do or enjoy. Didn't stop the others, because Aang, Sokka, and Toph would go to Earth rumble tournaments every chance they could. Toph would always come out on top, champion under the alias of the 'Blind Bandit'. Katara knew she preferred people not knowing her real name. Her parents could be resourceful if needed, and they didn't deserve a hint, Toph had told her once.

If word got out that Toph Bei Fong was the world's best earthbender, La knew what terrible consequence would happen. Supposedly, the Bei Fong's heir had gone missing ten years ago, and they were still searching. Katara knew otherwise. She wouldn't give Toph away for anything. Toph was her friend; she couldn't do that if her life depended on it. Otherwise, the blind earthbender would probably be trapped in her parent's estate and treated like a helpless little child. Honestly, it had been her Toph confided in when certain things needed advice. Over time, Katara grew fonder of the girl, in her mind; Toph was her cousin or kid sister. Besides, she and Toph were Aang's teachers. Poor tattooed Aang could complain all he might, but the elements needed to be learned whether he liked it or not.

On Katara's one day a week off, she caught up on her housework and slept. And tomorrow just happened to be that day. Knowing the air bender and earth bender, they'd keep her up most of the day and leave her and her insomnia to wallow away the next night while they slept. Working night shift, sleeping by day was her choice. It had been her collage dream to live unusually, and she'd finally gotten it. The only other thing to do before she died was to get a fuzzy cat with an attitude. Her apartment would be a mess by the time she actually woke up from her poor sleep, and someone would be complaining about the untidiness. No matter how much she loved her family, enough was enough.

"I don't see why not then, since you're insisting." She let her hair down, putting the hair tie in her pocket. Her one hair tie was hidden away when she wasn't using it. Not wanting to risk it being taken away by any chance.

Brushing it away from her face, the softness feathered her palm, tumbling softy over her shoulders. With a heavy conscious, she turned to face him. If her apartment was gone come morning, there was always her less destructive comrade to turn to. What a wonderful-none-(purposely)-violent-fire bending-person he was, too. A slight flush rose to her cheeks, remembering back to the arena. Clearing her head of those thoughts, she took the offered towel, wiping down the last of the counters.

"You do know why I asked you to come over?"

"Why?"

"I need help with renovations. You know, moving furniture and stuff."

"Why not ask Jet?"

"He left an hour ago. Further, I already tried."

"Oh." She frowned. "So, you invited me to stay the night over at your place because you need help moving furniture at," she glanced at the wall clock, "one in the morning?"

He coughed, trying to cover up his chuckle. "No. We can do that tomorrow. You look like you haven't slept well, so that ought to be your first priority."

"So what are you going to do?" she countered.

"Same as you. What else could I possibly do while you're over?" He grimaced. "I didn't mean that. What I meant was that—"

She interrupted, not letting him further embarrass himself. "I know what you meant, Zuko, there's no need to get worked up about it. If you could give me a minute, can I grab my things?"

"Sure."

--

With an amused smile, she shook her head. He'd understood. While she had claimed her purse, he had driven his amazingly classy Lamborghini up to the front exit; she in return had locked up the restaurant for the night. After jumping in, she watched the city go by as he drove. He'd turned up the radio, surprising her with his taste in music. It was something completely opposite she would have expected, honestly. His smooth driving had lulled her into a comfortable contentment; her smile had stayed fixed upon her lips when he turned down a familiar street.

Pulling up to her apartment, she stepped out of his car, taking the stairs two at a time. Coming up the last flight of stairs, she was breathing somewhat easily. Going up and down four flights everyday was easy for her. It had just taken many, _many_ times going up with extra stuff to weigh her down to make this time effortless.

Reaching her door, a wave of uncertainty made her pause. It was quiet. Too quiet.

Twisting the doorknob, she found it open. The moderate apartment was completely still; the lights had been turned out. Listening, Katara breathed a sigh of relief as Toph's snores sounded rhythmically from behind closed door to her room. The one time she wasn't going to stay at home, everything is finally peaceful. Rolling her eyes, her eye brows furrowed, annoyance beat within with her.

She felt her way around, not bothering with the lights. Minutes later, she had an overnight bag packed. Closing her door, she peeked in on Aang. Through the darkness, she could make out his outline on his bed, his chest rising and falling with every breath.

Quickly, she scribbled a note on a random paper. It was short and simple, but at least they didn't have to worry.

Over at a friend's. Please don't kill each other.

-K

Locking up her apartment with a light _click_, she made her way down the stairs, her bag and purse slung over her shoulder. Upon arriving, she found Zuko waiting with the passenger side open.

"Is this something you do for everyone?" she coyly asked. In the harsh glow of the flood lights, his skin glowed and his dark hair gleamed.

"Just get in the car," he grumbled. Complying, she could make out the almost inaudible growl he emitted. Ignoring it, she shook her head mockingly disappointed. She missed the slight tint of embarrassment that heated his face as she placed her things between her feet.

"Look, some things are ground too deeply into my being to just undo. My apologies for being polite," He retorted. Katara wasn't fully sure what he meant by that at the time.

Little more than a hour later, she opened the car door, her jaw slack and her eyes wide. With a whistle, she disbelievingly motioned a hand to the building before her.

"You live here?"

He mumbled something to low for her to hear, but rounded the car to stand beside her, nodding his head. He led the way, unlocking the gate. If the outside was _anything_ worth mentioning, the inside topped that by _extreme_ comprehensions. Lush gardens surrounded the massive building, even through the darkness; Katara could make out the outlines of massive trees.

The intoxicating smell of flowers left her dazed; a happy smile reached her blue eyes. Honeysuckle, she recognized the sheer masses of the flowers. It made her remember her summers when mom took her to the extensive forests that went on for miles and miles undisturbed. It had been those trips that made her wish she'd had one last chance to go before they had been cut down for stupid golf courses.

Having no idea of where they were, she knew it wasn't in the city. After a few minutes of walking, she paused for a minute to glance at the water. One minute she was behind Zuko, the next, he was gone. Sighing, she stayed where she did, not want to get lost.

A wooden bridge stood beneath her feet, the moon reflected on the still water running under the bridge. A gentle breeze tossed her hair, a sudden chill racing down her arms. A lamplight stood off on the other end of the bridge, illuminating a separating path. One led around an end to dark to make out, the other led up to complex of homes, each far enough that an air of privacy gave them a homey feel. If three and four story buildings _could_ be called homey. Looking around, she finally realized where she was.

This was a multi million resort that belonged to the one of the royals of the Fire Nation. Paling, she gulped. How the heck had she wound up here? A magazine she had picked while waiting in her doctor's office once had featured this place, shown pictures and detailed of descriptions of the things it hadn't been allowed to show. The pictures had shown beautiful older style homes. It had been daylight in those pictures, she was seeing it at the night time view.

"Are you coming?"

She jumped, jarred from her thoughts.

Nodding her head, she kept close to his side as they walked a bit more and finally he halted at his door. Inside lay a simple but masculine home. Immediately, she felt as if a great secret had been bestowed on her. Knowing Zuko, rarely did others get to come to his home.

He led her to her room, smiling softly as she gasped. She ran, jumping on the king sized bed, burying her head in the deep red covers. Smiling, she laughed, hugging a pillow, thankful for this chance.

"So hope this is to your liking?"

Putting the pillow down, she got to her feet and crossed the room. Looking up into his golden eyes, her blue ones softened. Giving no warning, she threw her arms around him. His body went rigid, surprised by her sudden embrace. Slowly, he rested his arms around her waist, feeling her warm breath on his neck.

"You don't know how much, Zuko. Thank you."

"It's no big deal, Katara." He said, playing with the ends of her hair.

"I haven't slept in a bed in a few weeks. You call that a small detail? I told you my apartment is housing three people in a two bedroom, one bathroom. I'm not going to try sharing a room with either one, I'll have you know. One snores loud enough that I can hear it from the hallway outside and the other has clinginess issues. I don't remember how it feels to wake up without someone yelling or my neck not stiff."

Unseen by her, his troubled frown gave away displeasure. Not at her, but that he had known. It had taken him this long to finally intervene. The bags under her eyes had made his conscious plague at him every time she looked at him. He hadn't been the only one to notice her sluggishness, spaciness and mishaps. Actually, he was impressed that she hadn't complained at work.

Pulling away, she started to turn around, but his arms laced around from behind, he molded himself into the curves of her body. She heard him breath in deeply, quietly moaning. Confused, she tried to look up at him, but he buried his face in the curve of her neck.

"Don't move." He whispered.

Sudden warmth sprang up in her chest as the tingly feeling raced across her skin. His heat was welcomed; she leaned back against him, soaking up his offered embrace. A longing made her want to turn around and bury her face in his shirt and cling to him forever more. Stare into his golden eyes until the world melted away. Share the steamy kiss under a full moon. Maybe snuggle up with him and fall asleep in a tangle of limbs. Realization made her take in sharp breath. Zuko wasn't just her friend anymore. Aunt Wu's words echoed in her mind, sinking deep into her subconscious.

"_The man you're going to marry, I can see he'll be a very powerful bender. Be careful nonetheless; keep in mind that not everything you see is as it seems."_

And then she knew. More pieces of the puzzle fell into place. The blood drained from her face, she placed her arms over his, feeling the silkiness of his clothes. She fingered the bracelet on his wrist, pondering why she hadn't noticed before. It was a simple golden band, twining at the ends.

"Zuko?"

"Mmm?"

"Is Iroh your uncle?"

* * *

**Izzy**, man, talk about an ending, right? Sorry sorry sorry sorry, SO SO sorry for not updating! bows deeply Ugh, I just moved across the country and I'm still not completely organized. (When am I ever, though?) Heflo's taking a trip due to ... ugh, matters, so she might not be able to get to a computer and criticize my rant for a while. Sorry again, guys :( I hope this wasn't a disappointment. I'm trying to rush to get this out . Forgive me for typos, just send a small message because I can't scan through it at the moment. Anyway, read and review! The only one who can flame around here is Zuko, so unless you're a freaking awesome writer that's undoubtably better than heflo AND me then I don't wanna hear jack.


	9. Sleep Over

Mentally cursing herself, she stifled a cringe. Of all the times to blurt out that out—

"You know my uncle?" he muttered, surprised. "My fat, lazy uncle?"

She breathed a sigh of relief, a wave of triumph made her grin. So she had been right. A whole new door way appeared, opening and revealing a blinding light, giving her access to a whole new place to tread.

Behind her, Zuko's jaw was clenched. This was his way of knowing if she was being honest. A flash of remorse had welled up at the mention of his father figure. A plan unrolled in his mind, a test specifically for her. More or less an opinionated than anything. Whatever thing she said about Iroh, it would reflect greatly on his opinion of her altruism.

"Actually, I call him uncle too. He's just endearingly round, not fat. He and I share tea every Sunday and Wednesday. Not always on those days sometimes, but I try to make up for it when I can. He's a wonderful man, Zuko. He misses you."

He was silent and she could practically hear the gears in his mind turning and thinking. She closed her eyes, breathing in his intoxicating scent, enjoying it because it sparked a heat in her that made her curl her toes. With a slow steady breath, she decided to keep going.

"He also showed me something that he had been keeping for you. I hope you don't mind, because I've been enjoying them for a few weeks now." she admitted shyly, flush deeping.

"What do you mean?" his masculine voice sent shivers pulsing under her skin. Blinking, she gathered her words, carefully knowing this might set off the fire bender. It was always a hit or miss when it came to him, she had learned early on. At least she had her meager belongings addressed in her will.

"You drew the dragon in the lounge, didn't you? There's another one that reminds me of it in one of the books." Katara related. "They're so life like, it's amazing how when I look at them, I still think something will jump off the page and come to life. Well, one of the mockingbirds sorta fooled me…"

"What do you think about it?" Zuko asked softly, probing her for more. Something ran in his words that Katara noticed, but couldn't place a name on it. It made her furrow her eyebrows; the proverbial ice was obviously now running thin. Her heart gave a dull _thud _before the tempo speed up. It had just become evident to her that he was tense, waiting for her reply. Stroking his bracelet, she smiled satisfied in his arms.

"I loved them, Zuko." She admitted honestly. She did. She'd look at his drawing every day, wondering how someone could express themselves on paper so passionately. And how a talent like that was born.

He turned her around, his expression unreadable. She gazed softly into his eyes, pouring her pleasure out, hoping it reached him. He leaned down, resting his forehead on hers, never breaking eye contact. Their noses brushed as she blinked, a searing emotion reflected in his golden orbs.

She didn't hesitate. His lips were parted, inviting her to feast. Gently, she felt her heart pound as a tender emotion filled her, spreading quickly to every part of her body. She sucked his lower lip; a groan came strangled from his throat. His inner fire roared to life, demanding more.

A breathy moan escaped from her mouth, barely audible as he ravished her. He backed her up to the wall, cupping her face in his hands. Her hair felt like silk against his fingers as it fell it soft waves framing her face, a forbidden fantasy that had haunted him since the beginning. Even before they'd gotten to know each other, he had watched her from behind, hoping his foolish desires weren't going to be in vain. And it looked like they hadn't.

She looped her arms around his neck for support, her legs felt as unreliably like jelly, suddenly shaky and threatening to buckle. Katara gasped as one of his hands rubbed her necklace, gingerly slipping around to support her neck. Cracking open her lids, she purred with delight as he took it father, deepening their already steamy kiss.

Half an hour later, they lay on the bed, gazing at each other with satisfied contentment. Tired, she yawned. For now, this was as far as it was going to go. Neither was going to push the boundaries, afraid of the outcome. Katara had mentioned a deranged brother, soon-to-be-father, who had yet to marry his child's mother. He had nodded, understanding. He wouldn't push or force her to do anything she wasn't ready for. One day at a time, things would come to work out.

"Katara?" he asked.

"Mmm?" her eyelids drooped, sleep half way claiming her. Her surrounding faded away as her eyes shut; the covers were amazingly comfortable and beckoning.

"Time for bed." he rolled off the bed, closing the heavy curtains, blocking out the outside world. He turned out the lights, the room plunged into darkness. She heard the door open and close. He had left. Panic clenched inside her, she opened her eyes to groggily jerk awake.

"Wait!" she blearily called out. Sitting up, she could make out the door creaking open. His silhouette peeked in through the hallway, haloed by a bright light.

"Come back." she huskily called. She patted the space next to her, motioning him to return.

"I will be right back."

A few short moments later, the house was plunged into tranquility, completely silent. Katara struggled to stay awake, her head resting on the pillow, the darkness swallowing her room in a lulling call of sleep. She had slept two hours last night, the very thought of staying awake any longer had her body screaming in protest at her to sleep _now._

There was a dip in the mattress and a body slid up next to hers. She smiled, his body molding to hers, his arm curling around her waist. Twisting to face him, she snuggled closer, burying her face in his chest, completely unaware of his nervousness. Minutes later, she was asleep. All the while, the troubled firebender held her, completely awake. He stroked her hair, trying to calm down. She would never know how much she did to him. Even if he stayed up all night, he would be satisfied because she was happy.

--

Upon awakening, Katara had found Zuko sleeping beside her, his peaceful expression making her eyes soften, a smile curling on her lips . Well rested, she felt magnificent. What a wonderful sight to wake up to. It was then she noticed that he was clad only in a pair of boxers. Her lips quivered, a mix of amusement and fluster heated her cheeks. Stretching, she gently removed herself from his loose hold. She went to the restroom, took care of business, changed, and wandered around. Now in daylight, she discovered just how big his house was. It was a two story with multiple rooms, and many other rooms that were unused. It seemed he lived alone, oddly. Why would one person live in a practical mansion?

When she had opened the master bedroom, her jaw dropped. The room she had slept in wasn't anywhere like this one. How could a bedroom remind her so much of one person? The master bathroom was breathtakingly beautiful. A tear had fallen from her eyes at the same time as she sniffled at the breathtaking room. Its splendor made her jealous, honestly. It was exactly how she had imagined it in her dream home to the last detail exactly. The shower took up almost a third of it, jets positioned at every angle. The tub was raised, giant, and perfect for relaxing. A wall mirror, low setting lights…

Subtle tones, simple, a relaxing feel, sparkling clean…

In awe, she explored until she came upon the kitchen. An idea came as she opened the fridge. Finding some ingredients - though there weren't many - she set to work. Forty minutes later, he padded across the room; a relaxed air clung around him. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he gave her a lazy grin.

"Sleep well?" she asked as she set two plates at the table, turning back to carry the food to the table.

"You didn't have to do this, Katara." He replied bluntly.

"I know," she said, "I wanted to though."

She opened drawers until she found the silver ware, picking up two sets. She handed him his, taking a seat. Raising an eyebrow, she frowned as he just stood there watching.

"Sit down and eat before it gets cold."

"I can always reheat it." He said dryly, pulling the chair back and sitting down. Apparently, he wasn't ashamed to walk around in his underwear she noted. Not that _she _minded on any fault. Her ears burned, and she covered them with her hair in an attempted to hide them.

She raised the glass of water to her lips, peering over it she watched him. He took a bite. His jaw stopped moving as he looked down at the food, startled. Looking from the food to her and back at his plate, he swallowed. his golden eyes closing, a look of bliss on his features.

"Do you like it?"

He didn't answer her. He turned his attention to his food, completely focused on consuming. Every bite, he savored before moving on to the next. That would be a 'yes', it seemed. Chuckling, she picked up her fork and started to eat.

When they had both finished, Zuko cleared the table, washing and drying the dishes. He handed them to her and she returned them to their places.

"Ready to get to work?" he asked her.

"Sure." She replied. He led her to his living room—enormous and quite empty. Frowning, her nostrils flared when he shook his head, his thick black hair falling back into place. She went to the window, heart pounding in awe as she looked out the bay windows. The view was astounding. How in the world had he gotten the money to afford this?

"The furniture won't arrive until late tomorrow, so today we'll be painting." His voice brought her back to him, tearing her gaze away from the lush green gardens, she innocently blinked up at him.

"Are you sure, Zuko? Why not just hire someone who knows what they're doing?" she inquired. Immediately, she regretted it. Of course he knew what he was doing. He was an artist for La's sake.

His mouth quirked just in the slightest when she said that, he then crossed his arms over his chest pretending to be irritated, "Are you questioning my skills?"

"No! I meant about me. It's been a while since I've painted anything." She said, embarrassed. Normally, if anyone else would have asked the very same thing, it would have made her roll her eyes and shake her head annoyed. Not now.

"It's all right. Who said you're even going to pick up a brush?" amusement filled his tone as he smirked. A spike of anger made her frown. Then how was she going to—

Realization hit her, she grinned back at him and a quiet knowing made it grow until her blue eyes sparkled.

He opened the paint tins with a screwdriver, stepping back so she could have access. Motioning a hand at him, she stepped into the center of the room. Standing beside her, he gave her room to move. She spread her arms, careful to not let a drop spill. The paint jumped to her command, rising as she raised her hands. It was light beige, she noted, as the paint swirling into a sphere like mass. It was water based paint, maintainable, but not entirely easy to keep under her control. She made it separate into three portions, moving it towards its destination. Mintues later, the walls had a nice even coat, not interferences to show. What could have taken an hour or two (or more) was completed in less than five minutes.

"Zuko, would your bending work?" she threw him the question over her shoulder, keeping an eye on the paint. The temperature started rising, hot against her back and neck. She turned around; watching him, a scant feeling of wonder made her cock her head. There was literally steam surrounding him, short breaths of fire blowing from his lips. She tugged her shirt, already feeling the humidity kicking in.

A moment later, he stopped. The paint had completely dried, ready for the second coat. She repeated the process, as did he. Three rooms later, they had done each the in the same order.

When there was no more paint, they admired their work. It looked professionally done. No mistakes or bubbles in the paint. The crown molding was completely untouched, as was the floor. It had gone well, seeing as neither had put done anything to protect the carpet or floorings. The paint was where it was suppose to be, not on anywhere else. The only thing Katara knew was out of place was her. She was sweaty, her clothes clinging to her like a second skin. Zuko, not five feet away, wasn't. It looked like he had just stepped off a magazine, softly smiling without a hair out of place. To her, he had never looked so at ease. Or so sexy.

"That was extremely easy." She laughed weakly, unsure what to say. Now what?

He picked up the empty paint tins, turning towards the door. "You can use my shower if you want, Katara." Calling from the hallway, his voice sounded raspy though relaxed. "I'll be outside when you're done."

Shrugging, she grinned. Eyes twinkling, she giggled like a little girl. She practically ran to the bathroom, excited at the chance to use it. She found candles in one of the cabinets, along with all sorts of bath soaps. She rummaged around, finding a tiny pack of matches, dusty and unused. Ah, that's another thing fire benders didn't need. She entertained the thought if he even knew _how_ to use the matches she was lighting the candles with.

By the time she had gotten the tub full, submerged and relaxed, her eyes had jerked open when she realized she had forgotten her other set of clothes.

Aw, crap.

At least she had a towel.

Half an hour later, she stepped out and wrapped the towel around her. It was soft and warm, but it wasn't as big as the ones at her apartment. It covered the essentials, but that was it. No more, no less. Her bath had been relaxing. But she hadn't expected ant less from this luxurious bathtub.

The water drained, candles and soap placed back in the cabinets, she peeked out the door. Striding into his room, she tried to remember where her room was. It took her a moment, but she managed to come up with basic directions.

Fast paced, she darted forward. Darn those many beautiful windows. They were _not_ helping her in the least. At last, she reached her room. Closing her door behind her, she let out a sigh of relief. She was twenty five and still unprepared. How humiliating it would have been if there_ hadn't _been any towels.

She slid on a clean set of clothes, mentally making notation to do laundry when she got home. Either way, she had three people's worth to do. It wasn't like Aang or Toph would do it anytime soon, so it was up to her because no one would otherwise. She was just glad she didn't have to do Sokka's anymore. Poor Suki did that heinous chore now and hopefully evermore. The only way Katara knew Suki unconditionally loved her sarcastic, meat loving big brother at times was by how she repeatedly did the things that would repulse any other person. The stench alone from certain articles of clothing was enough for Katara to fall over unconscious. She didn't doubt that for a moment. One time, that very thing had actually had happened. Gym clothes should be washed once a week or more. _Not _once a year.

Stuffing her dirty clothes in her bag, she slipped on her shoes, making her way to the door. Frowning, she wondered where he was. Outside, but of course. However, where _exactly_ outside? This would be her excuse to get pitifully lost, she dejectedly thought. The last time she had gotten lost, she discovered a lonely old man with a tea fetish, so who knew what she'd find this time.

What she found, was something she'd never forget. His eyes were closed as he reclined against a tree, the shadows falling just right to shield him from the sun. His legs were crossed, his expression one of complete concentration. She silently smiled to herself. He was a handsome man. He was honorable. Reliable, introverted, powerful…a great kisser. He wasn't much older than her, but even so, she wondered just how old her fire bending companion was. Guessing, she would probably place his age at somewhere older than he actually was.

"How long to you plan to stand there? Come sit with me."

Interrupted in her thoughts, she flinched. Walking over to him, she felt the heat rising to her face. A memory flash made her giggle as she sat down. He cracked open his eyes, giving a sideways glance to the waterbender sitting next to him. The ripple of water made caught her attention, her gaze now on the three turtle ducks. Her face fell, her smile disappearing. Her eyes held a faraway look as she silently watched the mother with its babies.

There used to be turtle ducks in the place her mother used to bring her to when she was younger. Nostaligia consumed her mind, and her blue eyes glazed with memories. Swimming behind their mother, the two little ducklings quaked and dove under the water. These looked almost old enough that the fluffy down would soon completely fade away as feathers filled its place.

"You too?"

Katara looked alarmed, her eyes widening when he wrapped a hand around hers. Lost for words, she looked up, studying his golden eyes. A muted sadness radiated from his golden orbs as she realized he had started to get blurrier. She blinked back the tears as she tore her gaze away.

"Me and my mom used to feed turtle ducks when I was too young to appreciate her. Spirits, Zuko, I miss her." Her hand went to her necklace, unconsciously seeking solace from the pendant.

"If it makes you makes you feel any better, my mom scolded me for feeding them wrong." He whispered.

Confused, she frowned. His sad smile was gentle, but his eyes contained a mixture between grief and happiness. Half of him was in his memories as the other half sat beside her with his legs crossed.

"My sister actually was the one who got me in trouble for that time. I showed my mom how Azula fed the turtle ducks...and the mother duck got angry at me for throwing a roll at her baby. When a turtle duck means business, stay away from their beaks."

She let out a watery giggle. He moved closer, comfortingly giving her a shoulder to lean on. Resting her had on his shoulder, his warmth spread to her; a new emotion appeared and filled her heart. Was this what they called silent strength? Or was it limitation? Somehow neither of those words fit the category.

"I had to learn when I was young that my family wasn't always going to do what I expected. My mom did everything she could for me, but it still wasn't enough. For every time she raised me up, my sister and my father would force me on my knees. One step forward, two painful step back."

Katara stayed quiet, listening to his raspy voice. It soothed her, yet at the same time distressed her. His words said one thing while his tone said another. His black hair covered his eyes, his gaze downward cast. His jaw was clenched, his voice soft but filled with an inner anger. Katara briefly thanked the spirits it wasn't directed at her. She'd hate to be at the receiving side of that kind of contempt.

"My mother disappeared when I was twelve, leaving me at the mercy of the other end of my dysfunctional family. My dad disowned me when I was fourteen. I left that place soon after, wandering until I found an abandoned warehouse. There were a couple of teens that had had similar situations that lived there, and each one of them had it just as hard as me. We went to school and worked part time jobs to support ourselves. Until my sweet little sister found us, things we actually looking better. The fire… " he gulped, "it got out of control…", pause, "and there was no way to stop it. There are only two of us left from the original eighteen. Then afterwards, Azula tried to kill me three times before I turned twenty." He spoke dangerously, his voice harsh as he revisited his past. He was hurting her, but she didn't move. Almost wincing, she ignored the uncomfortable twinge in her hand as his clentched around it.

Willing herself to stay calm, she reached for his other hand, occupying them both. She was an expert in this area - comforting people was as easy as breathing. And even that become a challenge in certain situations. It had become a necessity when her family had lost her mother, then her father when he went to war. Somewhere, her father was in hiding, staying alive only because his enemies couldn't locate him. The down side to that was that she hadn't heard any word on her father in over five years. He'd been alive then. She could only hope the news hadn't changed. She understood why her dad didn't contact them, but it didn't mean she had to like it.

In her lap, she could feel Zuko's hand clenching firmly. And in her left hand, his was becoming excruciatingly hot. He'd been through more than she would ever have to know. Her heart ached for him because of his losses, but rejoiced that he was sharing them with her.

"That's when Iroh came in." she very tenderly interjected. His hold relaxed when he remembered she was there. Looking down at her brown waves, he froze, very aware of his words.

"Yes, it was." He spoke with a quiet ache, one she knew all too well.

Then it grew silent. Comfortable, but no words came from either of the benders. The leaves rustled as a cool breeze caressed the trees, lifting her hair. The water rippled as the turtle ducks frolicked and playfully teased each other, their mother watching at a safe distance. A good while in silence passed as they sat there contemplating their thoughts as the turtle ducks swam before them in lazy circles and the crickets started chirping. The sun steadily dropped in the sky, the rays of sunset falling on the world, casting an amber hue.

Slowly, Katara swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "My mom was assassinated in the place of my dad. My dad.. he'd been visiting a friend that day over in another village."

"The only reason my brother and I are still alive," her mouth felt dry and her throat scratchy. Clearing it, she continued, "is because we had been in our canoe, fishing. By the time we came back, it was too late. She was already gone." Taking in a steady breath, she closed her eyes, her mother's silent screams and the expression of terror forever frozen in her memory. It had been months before the nightmares had started to cease and even still, ever once in a while, she'd wake up crying, a cold sweat broken across her skin.

"I had turned twelve the day after that happened. Not long after, Aang came into my life permanently. We had been friends before this, but it's afterwards that is the most important. He, Sokka and I then moved to the Earth kingdom. Compared to Aang, Sokka and I had it easy. Almost his entire culture got wiped out while he was sleeping - he woke up and hid and watched the massacre. From what I know, he's one of the last air benders. What's worse, it was days before anyone found him and dragged him away from the carnage."

Twin tears splashed her legs as she told him more. "There are nights when I wake up and find him completely out of it. He's a completely different person when that happens. It's been a while, but I'm scared I won't be there when he has another episode. As his friend, it scares me to see him in so much rage and pain. The only thing I can do is hold him down when he loses it. No one else can calm him down, Zuko. I'm afraid for him because he's my little brother. There are only four people in the world that know what he can do, but it might be what our downfall in the end is." She told him, emotion fully drained from her tone. She'd never hinted to anyone about Aang's bending capabilities before.

"I'm sorry." He wrapped both arms around her, loosely holding her against him. She reached behind him and held on securely, hiding her face in his shirt, his warmth rolling off of him in thick sheets. For the first time in her life, she wasn't the one to be the supporter.

In that spilt second, she saw through new eyes. Zuko was here _now_, doing something she'd silently been praying for. He made her feel safe, she recognized, in a way like no other person had.

Zuko made her break the rules she had so precociously constructed her life around, uncaring about the outcome when she was done. He was a fire bender, powerful both physically and mentally. He was sharing his possessions, his home, and his time. He was her coworker and friend—her sparring partner and part time instructor. He brought heat in places she'd never had before. Knocked her socks of with his intense words and kisses.

"_The man you're going to marry….." _whispered somewhere deeply in her mind, the warning bells clanking with rapid succession. "…. _keep in mind that he isn't what he seem."_

With a sharp inhale, she felt chills race down her spin. Zuko was powerful. He was rich—lived in the summer home in possession of a fire nation royal. It had taken her this long to realize he was Iroh's nephew. He had somehow become the person that picked her up when she stumbled or fell. He had also showed with the little things he cared. She'd seen behind his mask, gotten to know the man that caused the warm feelings that made her smile. This was the man she knew and trusted with her life. He would watch her back in a fight and she'd watch his. He would take care of her and support her.

He was the one her heart was in danger of being lost to.

As quick as that, she remembered people came and went in less than the blink of the eye. He could do just that. If he took her heart, she would be left with the shattered remains, not knowing where or how to pick up the pieces.

She broke off that thought, her blue eyes squeezed shut. Her life was in shambles even though she didn't show it. Her family was her responsibility. She was the one that stayed by their sides to wade the sorrow through. Then why was it coming now with no stop? As he pulled away and leaned back against the tree trunk, she felt his lingering gaze watching her. Her eyes burned and a sorrow so powerful, so deep, bled from her heart.

Trembling, she broke down, crying hot, salty tears. She tried to stop, ashamed he was seeing her like this, but it just kept coming, years of pint up sadness coming out at once. He cursed quietly as he pulled her into his lap and held her. His comforting made it only worse. Here she was, probably freaking him out as she bawled her eyes out. He didn't have to do this. Gently, he rubbed her back, trying his best to help.

As she buried her face against the crook of his neck, she felt the emotion rise like a tidal wave, crashing down on her at full force. She clung to him, desperately holding on while the rest of the world became hazy. Sobs choked her as she drew in ragged breathes, her heart clenching with different emotions. Sorrow, confusion, anger, happiness, and pain were intertwined as it overcame her in shuddering attacks.

He held her, a slight shakiness taking over his fixed breathing. His walls that had been so carefully built were threatening to break; already a section was crumbling away. She was crying for both of them. His hurt was becoming hers and hers was becoming his. In the short time of five months, she had found her way under the shields. Blinking rapidly, he breathed in her scent, trying to swallow back the emotion. Closing his eyes, he rested his cheek against her hair, the silkiness feathering his skin. Unconsciously, he rubbed her back; almost inaudible words came from his lips, soothing her as she clung to him. She was his waterbender. Possessively, his inner voice growled, _Mine….._

_--_

**heflo-** Oh. My. Gawd.

I swear... cough Well, anyway. Sorry for the wait.

I had this finsihed like, months ago, but my computer hates me. Don't worry, I'll have the next chapter up in a few mintues to make up for my total absence. Izzi is no where to be seen, so it's just me at the moment.

No flames.

Read and reveiw.


	10. Turned Around

**H-**Thank you all who have stayed faithful and held out the doldrums. This chapter should have been up _months_ ago, but somehow... Well, you get the point. My birthday is coming up soon, so until then, I'll try to have at least to chapter 15 up. Don't get your hopes up just yet - this is just a goal. I repeat.

I will not be held accountable for anything.

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own any characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor do we own the show. We're simply writers manipulating them for our own twisted, fictitious use. **

That morning, a certain tattooed airbender woke up to light streaming in from the large, glass doors. Huh, guess he forgot to close the blinds last night. Yawning, Aang stretched out his arms, nearly rolling onto the floor until he let himself be cushioned by a puff of air. He kept face down on the carpeted floor for a few moments, still drowsy, until deciding to get up. Last night, or rather, this morning he stayed up watching Inuyasha reruns until he fell asleep. The next thing he knew, everything was dark and quite, he was on the couch, locked out of his bedroom, and Kat still wasn't home.

The older waterbender had a tendency to disappear at random times, so he ignored it, trying to make himself comfortable on the leather couch they had since college. The tattooed airbender stole a pillow from Katara's closet and a blanket she rarely used as he tried to fall asleep. Going to the kitchen, he opened up the small fridge. There, on the top shelf, was a lone jar of Smucker's jelly. No bread, no peanut butter, no other food. Great. Where'd Kat usually go to get groceries? The only place Aang got food from was the poorly stocked corner store and various fast food places. He slammed the fridge door a bit too hard. He was well aware of the vegetables in the pantry, but even at his age, he still was as lazy as any guy with cooking. He wasn't just that hungry yet. When he normally got hungry, he ordered vegetarian pizza from a local pizza pallor. But more times than not, it was Katara who supplied him with his meals. And man, could she _cook._

Just then, Toph walked out of _his_ bedroom dressed in _his_ orange button up shirt. At least the yellow shorts were hers. _What's mine is yours, _he thought, _and what's _yours_ is yours._ Nothing like family..._ Well, that's Toph for ya._

"Hey, airhead, lookin' for something?"

"Yeah, what'd you do with the food?" He asked, a tiny bit angry. His stomach was growling in complaint.

"Ate it, of course. What, did you think I was the only one eating? I'm human. You're part of that species, too. Or at least the lesser half. You helped make it disappear. There's soup cans in the pantry," she shrugged. "Oh, and Kat's at some guy's house. She said she shouldn't be long."

"What?" Aang said. His sudden anger at Toph disappeared, and his grey eyes widened as the petite girl nearly shrugged, as if it were nothing worth really talking about. He tensed, his spine completely rigid.

"I dunno, he needed help with renovation plans or something. Nothing big. What was his name... Zeke... Zack... Zoo..."

_"Zuko?!"_ Aang cried, outraged.

"Oh, sure. What's your problem?" She asked him, furrowing her eyebrows. His tense, shaking posture was all too clear for her to feel. Wasn't he hungry a few seconds ago? Talk about multiple personalities...

"She stayed over at _Zuko's_ house?!" He was yelling now, and he acted as if the name were a curse. A taboo that wasn't to be spoken of in light terms. _Eesh. Grouchy_, Toph smirked knowingly.

"Well_, apparently_, since she didn't make it home. Why are you so heated about it? It's not like their planning a wedding, anytime soon. Besides, it's healthy for her to be hanging around some guys."

"Well, Katara hangs around _me_, doesn't she?" Aang put a strong emphasis on the 'me' part.

Toph frowned, her voice rising now as well. "Yeah, just look at how interesting she finds you! Kat's gone half of the time, anyway! You're just mad because you know she likes _him _and not _you_!" The girl spat at him. Never in a million years would she admit to the slight sting of jealousy she felt right then. He'd always cared so much about Katara. Katara _this_, Katara_ that_, look at Katara, Katara's so beautiful… did you know Katara could...? Ah! She couldn't take it anymore.

Katara was…well, _Katara. _She was independent and motherly, overbearing but compassionate. Like the big sister Toph never had. It was annoying at times, but _come on._ Aang was her foster brother for crying out loud! Wasn't that just… wrong? For the blind earthbender, it was the equivalent of the waterbender and…Sokka. And _that_ was sick and wrong on so many levels. At that, she sneered in disgust and stomped her foot in a very unladylike way, stomping only a fraction of an inch away from his bare feet.

Aang's fists were shaking, his silver eyes glaring daggers at her. Too bad it was wasted on someone who could nether see nor care about his murderous expression. If looks could kill, they both would've been gone a long time ago.

"That's. Not. True." The airbender had his teeth clenched, and he was white knuckled. Toph could feel his whole body shaking with anger now, his vibrations getting dangerously erratic. Her glossy green eyes, although they couldn't see, glared just as angrily back towards him as he was to her.

"Sorry to say, Twinkle Toes, it is! You're in love with her! Like she's not our family. You can't hide that from me, no matter how hard you pull the wool over Sokka or Katara. I'm starting to wonder who's really blind." She stepped closer, her nose almost touching his chest. "How long has this been going on? Are you Sokka and Katara's _adopted_ brother or not? Get it through your thick head that you and Katara aren't meant to be! She's free to choose any person she wants. And she chose_ Zuko_!"

"Then why hasn't she _said _anything? _I_ should have heard about this before, say I don't know…_YOU!_" he snapped furiously, an unusual, uncharacteristic snarl marring his normally cheerful face. His abrupt, pained expression lost to his blind counterpart. "Why not me?"

"Just because she doesn't tell you _every_ little thing means she doesn't have her own life to live. I've never seen her so happy—doesn't she deserve this?"

"And _I _don't?!"

"Katara needs this more than you could ever comprehend, Twinkle toes. As much as you don't want her happy with anyone else but you, she needs someone who can handle her. And _you_, you dense idiot, need to see that she's your sister! And I don't care if you don't share blood; she took care of you! She gave up so many things for _you! _For _once_ in your life, can't you let Katara have something she'd been denying for _years?"_

You could've cut the tension in the air with a knife and promptly gotten the blade stuck firm in the thickness._ Ah. There went the good cleaver._

"She doesn't deserve him. Katara needs more then _he_ can give her,_ I _can give her that and more." He retorted quickly, angrily glaring at his earth bending teacher, the truth of her side hurting him severely.

She hit his chest with a bruising _thump_ and twisted her hand into his shirt sleeve. This close, she could hear his heart louder than her own, which was indistinctly starting to beat against her rib cage. With a snort, she replied bluntly, recalling who her water bending friend's happiness was caused by.

"Hot head _is _everything Katara needs. He's more than capable—hell, I know him! Princey boy and I go back as far as you and I do! Met him in high school the day after I met you; you remember our first shout fest? His uncle and him let me in for tea." Toph thoughtfully muttered a curse after her sentence; and kept her frenzied rigorousness up. "And from what I've seen then and now, she's changed Zuko. Let her _go _already. Or you too_ childish_ and s_elfish _to let her love someone else?"

In her unseeing darkness, she felt her long, ebony hair lift suddenly and whip against the nape of her neck. In the room, a strong gust of wind circulated and became visible to the naked eye. Just not to Toph, the blind woman who was standing up for her closest female friend. No matter how good of a friend the airbender was, she was on Katara's side for this fight.

The airbender was past obsessive of his adopted sister. It wasn't right or sensible. With a hostile, unsympathetic satisfaction, she crossed her arms over her chest and spat a deliberate friction to the already opulent argument. "Frankly, I hope she _marries_ him if that's saying anything!"

Anyone else would've been able to see the air bender's tattoos beginning to glow...

--

Work that night was a bit different than usual. Only vaguely did Katara realize how close she had gotten with a certain firebender in a small amount of time. For months, they had been bordering on the line between friend and acquaintance, but now, now she knew that there was something more. Even Jet seemed to be quite aware of a change. When a certain fire and water bender duo came in at the same time, the tanned brunette had given Katara a sly smile and wink, but backed off the rest of the night.

Smart man.

Her work had gone by quite quickly, despite the distractions. Occasionally she'd have to walk by Zuko, and as the two brushed, she'd feel her face quickly reddening, and she knew it wasn't just the regular heat of the kitchen.

_How ironic_, Katara found herself thinking, _my hormones start kicking in when I'm nearly twenty five, and I 'm beginning to fall for a firebender_. With a stark realization, Katara frowned. Her birthday wasn't that far away, and she still wasn't sure how old Zuko was. It was a stupid thing, but she hated feeling in the dark. He was... very mature. A lot of guys Katara knew were just getting out of the immature frat boy stages, but Zuko was different. She found herself musing if Zuko ever had regular teenage stages...

Then again, Katara never really had them either. When someone would speak of how hard life had been, she had always inwardly laughed. _Compared to what?_ Choices and situation circumstances were what made a person discover themselves as they grew. It was the dreams and goals that made the road more defined when people decided to act, other than just plan towards their dreams.

When she was a little girl, she'd always dreamed of finding her prince charming, falling in love and marrying said prince charming, have a happily ever after she and her knightly prince rode off into the horizon and setting sun. _Hah. If only things could return to being simple, carefree and pure. _The _hour_ after she found her mother lying dead in cold blood, they had drastically turned to more… philanthropic things…

Live to see Sokka finish collage, be the best sister Aang and Sokka could ever have, be financially independent, and help Aang master the elements... The additional options that had weeded their way into the agenda were still only flitting thoughts in her mind at the moment.

Teach her brother's child everything she possibly could, see Aang reveal his presence as a fully fledged Avatar to the world, help Toph when it was turn to get married—and speaking of which—Aang too. They were family to her as much as Sokka. They were one big happy family. Suki, too. And Iroh was like her aging uncle. In every way, he was actually becoming her uncle. She'd never had one other than him, in any other case—so now she had a complete, or at least as it was going to get, set of family.

Then there was Zuko.

He had certainly become one of better friends she'd ever known. She had really gotten to know the firebender as well as he'd gotten to know her. But she didn't really know what to call him. _He_ was actually the only person she wasn't sure about. He sparked her inner desires. He comsumed her thoughts, and his voice filled her head when he wasn't there. He was someone she could let watch her back if anything went wrong, he knew what to do when she herself didn't really know, she could count on him, rely on him to be there, depend on him to make her days better, and trust him with her secrets and thoughts.

Almost all of the above could also be applied to a good bar of chocolate.

His voice was a whisper across her skin, his essence electric. Embarrassingly, he had been the first man to kiss her. It wasn't embarrassing that he'd been the first - it was just that she had made it to twenty four until checking that one of the _things-to-do-before-I-die_ list.

What she'd been getting at was, was that he sparked a flame in her. One that only grew as it was deliciously fed.

And to think, it had only been in a matter of months that she'd met the stoic firebender and slipped beneath his shields. She wasn't sure, but falling slowly was the only thing she could think of.

What a time for her voice of reason to desert her. _Sure, leave me by my lonesome with no _idea _how to handle this._

Every little thought that night found a way to slip Zuko's name in there. La knew Katara was bordering on the line between admiration and obsession. She hoped it was more on the admiration part than the latter. Aang wasn't at work, but Jet told her that a girl called earlier and said he'd be absent today. There wasn't any further explanation, but Katara knew that she'd probably get one once she got to her apartment. Hopefully they didn't blow it up the one full day she was gone. Her room was already trashed, and Aang's was always that way. She hadn't even gotten around to painting yet...

Sighing, she watched a certain firebender close up the restaurant. They'd both stayed late to clean and feed the fish, and the electric sparks somehow found their way into Katara's blood system whenever the two touched. Cascada was playing repeatedly in her head.

_Coincidence?_

Think again.

"That was certainly epic night," she told him softly, referring to the workday. It seemed so... toned down, compared to what both had endured only hours before they both got to work.

"Not everything can be action packed," Zuko replied, turning around to give her a smile. She realized that he did that more often now, and she had even left her hair down for the last work session. And she was even startung to play around with it a bit. It was actually - dare she say this - fun.

"Would you like me to drive you home?"

Katara shook her head no. "It wouldn't be good for you to spoil me. Besides, I don't know what to expect when I get back there. Toph and Aang have never behaved well together."

He gave her a low chuckle, and his golden eyes bore into her own sapphire orbs. Katara held her breath when his hand raised up, brushing her cheekbone. Giving her a light kiss on the lips, he turned out of the building to enter his sports vehicle. She took a breath once everything began to spin around her. Certainly, if she was unsure of nothing else, he was affecting her like no other. She walked to her apartment in a daze, not really in tune with her surroundings. Only did she snap to full reality when police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks made their way back from somewhere. It wasn't away from her current residence.

Getting home, she realized she was wrong. Totally and horrifically wrong. Where the four story apartment building was now a very, _very _large mass of rubble. The site smelled strongly of smoke and ash, and there were a few people around salvaging through the mess. Turning to a couple, she asked in an over subdued tone what in the world had happened.

"We're not quite sure ourselves," the woman said. Her graying hair was falling in her face, a worried frown on her thin lips, her brows dipping in frustration. "We arrived earlier when the building was on fire. They said no one was seriously injured." The man looked at the heap of debris. "The people here at the time are mostly gone, but one of them might be able to tell you a little bit more." He nodded towards the people atop the flattened pile of their homes, digging up what they could salvage.

Taking a deep breath, she walked towards a woman. She was crouched over and held a black book in her hands. Almost similar to one she knew had been tucked securely away on her bookshelf. A stray thought crossed her mind as she looked around, and her heart withered. All of Zuko's books had been in her apartment. If she no longer _had_ an apartment…

_Damn._ All of those wonderful sketches lost to the flames. It made her sad to think that she had never gotten to see them all; even in all the time she'd had them. More times than not, she would finger through the pages of the first leather bound book she'd opened, longing to understand what exactly drove the inspiration of the pictures. Out of the entire stack, she had only gone through two of them. There had been over a dozen total.

"Excuse me, Ma'am; do you know what happened here?" Katara asked, bending down, her hands shaking in suspicion.

The woman looked at her with sad, watery brown eyes and shook her head. She was sweating and her hands were dirty and cut. Katara took the woman's load as it was handed over, and the woman turned over a burnt timber, snatching a picture frame with a relieved sigh. Its glass facing was cracked, but the smiling worn picture of an older man was intact and unharmed.

"There was a rumbling earlier from the north end, and I thought it was an earthquake. Came outside and found everyone running outside too. Then one of the buildings exploded, blinding light came towering from one of the top housings. Next thing I knew, fire had already consumed it."

Katara thanked the lady and backed away, her blue eyes wide as she understood. Sudden, spontaneous tower of blinding light? Looking for her friends, she wordlessly panicked when Sokka pulled down the street in his battered up truck, horror written on his face. Lightheaded, she placed a hand on her breast and ran towards her big brother. He would know what to do. He was the plan maker. He could make things right. He could chase away the nightmare like he had the bogie monster hiding in her closet when she was five.

He met her at the half way point, and she threw herself into his arms, trembling. Hearing his disbelief, she explained what she had heard. Comprehension dawned on him and they darted to the police cars, halting in front of a tired looking woman.

"Have you seen a man with blue arrows on body? Or a blind girl wearing a headband?"

"I'm sorry, I haven't—"

Katara peeled away, and pulled her cell phone out and dialed. After a few rings, she listened, and stumbled ungracefully as she ran towards the ring tone coming from the ruined apartments. She found Aang's cell phone underneath a twisted scrap of ruined metal. She pocketed it, dialing another number. Sokka, realizing what she was doing, sprinted towards the heavy metal ring tone loudly pounding in the air. He held it up with a triumphant but disappointed curse. They split up and looked around the area, their friend's cellphones in hand.

The worried sick waterbender cried out in relief when the familiar shout of her friend greeted her ears. Out of breath, she halted as Toph angrily shouted at the confused water tribe man.

"What happened?" Sokka pleaded harshly as he placed his tanned hands on the smaller earth bender's shoulders, the large shirt tattered and torn on her and hints of orange peeked through the grim, the whereabouts of his foster brother still a total mystery.

"He went berserk!"

"What do you mean 'berserk', Toph?" Katara panted, reaching the two. "As in _berserk _berserk? Like as in…glowing_?" _Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something familiar in a young child's arms. A leather bound sketch book. She turned away, and walked toward the crying child, hearing Toph yell that she didn't have the word _glowing_ in her vocabulary.

Katara knelt down in front of the girl with a careful smile. The girl clutched the leather bound book to her and turned slightly away from the water bender, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Can I have my book?"

"No!" the girl sobbed, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Why not?" Katara softly inquired, careful not to frighten the little girl. She couldn't be older than three. Her little pigtails were askew, and her pink jumper was dirty with soot. Then, a slightly taller girl popped up and angrily hugged the crying child as she yelled at Katara.

"Mrs. Pretty is losted!"

Within a minute, Katara agreed helplessly to assist her and her sister to find her doll in exchange for the sketch book. Even though she didn't have to help, she did, and was glad in the end. It took a while, but after searching everywhere, she had uncovered a surprisingly intact rag doll. She brushed the ash from it, and with a sigh got to her feet to head towards the two children. The little green eyed girl had hugged Katara's legs and handed over the sketch book, shocking Katara when she pulled out the water bender's copy of Pride and Prejudice and told her it had been lying in perfect shape on top of the battered sketch book. Of all the things…

Thanking the girl and patting her head affectionately, she returned to her brother with a questioning look. He shook his head and kept rubbing Toph's shoulders, the two a picture of frustration.

They now where talking next to Sokka's blue ford, the three of them silently waiting for someone to speak. With a sad thought, Katara hugged the books as her heart ached.

Aang had gone into the Avatar State. Toph had admitted to them arguing over, surprisingly, their friend. When Sokka asked whom, Toph had quietly clammed up, resting her forehead against his arm miserably muttering that she had been stupid.

If that hadn't petrified Katara, what her brother mentioned next would.

"So… what now?"

--

She worked late into the day, uncovering things and searching for anything she could keep before the bulldozers arrived. Her and the unlucky apartment dwellers were helping each other look, dig out salvageable belongings, and anything usable to keep. In the end, she had about nothing.

When she and her brother watched helplessly as the bulldozer removed her former home, she swallowed a tangible lump, her eyes blurring in anger. Aang was nowhere to be found. Her apartment was gone. Her only belonging's consisted of a meager assortment: her purse and its contents, Pride and Prejudice, and the lone surviving miracle of Zuko's artwork.

She wasn't crying over her lost things, or her apartment. No. She was biting back the tears that were the result of frustration directed towards her missing brother. All Toph would tell them was that the fight had basically revolved around one person. Katara. When subject woman probed further, all she got was the silent treatment.

So a good while later, she and Toph sat in her older brother's apartment, fearing for their airbender. So the hours went by as it was decided that for the time being, Toph would get the couch and Katara would get the floor. The only real choice they had in the matter. So until Toph left for her home, the four of them would settle for sharing the tiny, _tiny_ one bedroom apartment and wait to see about insurance on Katara's behalf.

Suki, who was starting to show, held a motherly glow despite of her concerned frown. Her hair was pulled back into a tight pony tail, and she was watching the local news, seeing for the first time what had happened to her friend's apartment despite what Katara had already told her. Hands playing with a chunk of metal from the ruined apartments, Toph silently focused on shaping and reshaping the metal under her will, surprising both Sokka and Katara—Suki was too intent with the television to see that the shape floating in the middle of the blind earth bender's hand looked distinctly like a penguin.

Nothing much on the news tonight. The only thing that had caught the water bender's attention was the description of a masked robbery not too far away from her current job.

The odd things about the robbery—so the newscaster stated—was that this man had swords, and that the things he'd stolen were returned only minutes ago, perfectly free of fingerprints. Swords? Who used those nowadays? A report of the person's appearance settled into her mind as the earth kingdom man read out the description.

"Laughing blue demon mask, probably a replica deriving from the Blue Spirit legend… entirely covered from head to foot— police have no clue as to what nationality he is… armed with weapons… reported to be dangerous..."

When it was time, Katara called in her work—and to her fortune it was one of the waitress's , saying things had come up, and she'd be absent and to pass it along to the kitchen. Not but a few minutes later, the phone rang again, and she picked it up without hesitation.

"Aang?"

"Huh? Who's—"

"Jet, why in the world are you calling?"

"Isn't that the bartender's name?"

Snapping, she realized it was too late to stop the bottled up anger that hide her fear. "Yes, it is. So unless you have information pertaining to him, I'll be going now."

"No, I don't. Hey, wait! That's—"

Katara hung up, pausing at the door to listen to her soon to be sister-in-law.

"You going out?"

Nodding, Katara answered with a curt reply. "I need some fresh air."

Obnoxiously, the phone rang again. Suki could deal with it. She didn't bother grabbing her things. They were safest here. She yanked her sneakers on and opened the door. Her brother's apartment was on the ground level, exactly three quarters of an hour's walk away from hers. Or what used to be hers.

She ran. Not a slow run, but a flat out burst of motion. She needed to get away from her thoughts. If she focused only on breathing, her mind would be clear as long as her legs didn't give up on her.

In.

Out.

Repeat.

The beat of her footsteps against the concrete were what she concentrated on. When she couldn't run anymore, she just stopped, her lungs burning and her body exhausted. Leaning against the brick wall behind her, she sank to the ground and closed her eyes, gulping in air to her deprived lungs.

Now that she could think, she gloomily wondered if it was humanly possible to just change the batteries and keep running. Sweat covered her in a thin layer, and she opened her eyes to take in her surroundings.

It wasn't dark yet, but it would be within the hour, the sky was resting on the turning of dusk. Pedestrians were many and one or two were staring at her openly, curiously. Cars stopped at the red light, went at green and drove off across the intersections. Stores of all assortments were just getting busy, their business opening to the general public. It was an upscale area, for sure, but the location—a different matter?

_Where in the earth kingdom was she?_

_--_

**iz****zy-** Ahaha, I think a few of you may remember the hit from a few years ago 'Every time we touch' by Cascada. I kept thinking of that when I wrote about Kat and Zuko :3 I'm such a loser, I know.

**h****eflo**- hehehe… I'm guilty there too. Cascada is a good artist to inspire some ideas when writer's block is peeking around the corner. Sorry about the lack of updates, everyone. Izzi was right about me finally coming out of my unsocial shell. Trying to clarify to someone who doesn't understand my situation circumstances would be like me trying to explain the color…_ blue_. How _do_ you explain to someone what blue is? Or how it operates, becomes, or is? Wow, I actually worked out a simple understanding for once… maybe not. In any confusion, read in review—as always.


	11. Confessions to Uncle

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own any characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor do we own the show. We're simply writers manipulating them for our own twisted, fictitious use.

* * *

**

Katara pulled her legs to her chest as a very well dressed, designer clad suited man glared down at her, passing by with a sneer on his face. She watched him practically stick his nose in the air, almost, but not quite. She then realized that her hair was falling in a sweaty curtain around her face. Groaning, she stood up and pulled the sweat off of her and threw it down the street drain. Flipping her thick chocolate hair over her shoulder, she slouched back down on the curb and finger combed through her tangled masses scrupulously and unhurriedly, braiding it while she tried to catch her breath.

A soft pair of noises alerted her, and she glanced up to see a person standing not too far off, clapping of all things, staring at her with a heated smile. She frowned and continued detangling her hair.

Not even having to look over in his general direction, she knew he was coming her way. She ignored him politely, her eyes narrowing as he stuck his hand out. He was a nice looking man. Tall, and muscular, he had long dark hair that was secured at the nape. Meeting his eyes, she found vivid green, sparkling and intrested in the sigh before him. Her frown deepened. When she stared at his offered hand, he awkwardly dropped it to his side, clearing his throat.

"May I help you?" she offered, wanting more than anything to be free of this earth kingdom man. Looking the man over again, committing his features to memory, she cocked her head and tried recalling. Why did he look startlingly familiar? Aw, come on. High school, maybe? No, didn't seem right. College? Eh, nope. Not that either. Somehow, she wouldn't have missed that kind of smile. And he looked like he could use a good shave. Though, the five aclock shadow looked good on on, it obscured her memory. Overly bright and sparkling, his eyes reminded her of spring. Not one of her favorite seasons. Too much pollen. Oh, wow… the old Zuko really might be rubbing off on me a bit. At least he's changing and not so—

"Uh, this is going to sound really strange, but do I know you?"

Disrupted from her thoughts, she exhaled; annoyance aimed at all her bad luck. Not another lame pick up line. Nooo... Not now. Why was it she attracted everything with a --

"Don't think so."

She'd better not finish that thought.

He shifted uncomfortably before sitting down on the curb next to her, nervously smoothing his pants. She didn't move. From this angle, she could do nothing. She glanced around, spotting a patrol car the next block over.

"I know I do. I saw you on the news," he said lightly, "You and Jet?"

Looking up at his profile, she gave him a murderous glare. Why _that _name? Why Jet?

"And?"

"You really don't recognize me, do you?" he said in amusement, catching her eyes before she took them towards another sight. Hey, look! Is that a…? No way! Laughingly, she smiled at the pay phone. She knew where she was now. It area really had changed, but the graffiti near the back alley way hadn't.

"No, not really." She muttered in response to the man, remembering the time she'd gotten lost a few months back. Had those stores been there? She couldn't remember a single one, but at least she had an idea of her location. Okay, if that phone booth is about ten blocks over and two blocks down from Iroh's… She could find her way back. Maybe stop and visit the older man. It was time anyway; she always stopped by at least once a week. Pitifully, it was overdue that she go see him anyway. And she would apologize about what happened to the sketch books he'd gifted to her while she was there.

"Would my name ring any bells?"

Katara blinked. Turning, she rested elbow on her knee and leaned into her hand. She studied his face and shrugged. It wouldn't hurt anything.

"My name is Haru."

--

"So if Jet is—"

"Keep going."

"And you're—"

"Warmer."

"And…" She lost it. Seriously, what chances did one have to meet a well known celebrity at—she glanced around and found a giant electronically, television screen on one of the buildings—six in the evening. She'd heard his name alright. But she'd never seen his face before. It was a bit weird not being up to date with the celebrities. The last time she'd picked up a magazine including gossip and fashion had been, well, in junior high. Pitiful, right? The only magazines she skimmed though were the ones at the doctor's office, months old, but still new for Katara. She'd learned how to do plenty from those beat up papers. Recipes, stain removing tips, and advice with finance. But celebrities really didn't pretain to survical, so... she normally didn't even glace at gossip magazines.

Honestly? The only reason she knew of Haru was because two of the waitress at her job her were infatuated— must have been last week ago or so in the changing room. Really, what had they said?

_"Can you believe that Haru,_ The Haru,_ is shooting here? The film will be exclusively made and recorded in this city!" They'd squealed loud enough for the water bender's ears to ring. Why they hadn't bled, she'd never know._

That's probably why she remembered the name. You don't easily forget what caused you to knock back two Advil from the pounding migraine two hyperactive teenagers had been the cause of. It hadn't gone away until she'd shut her self away in her room and pulled the covers over her head and whimpered for hours while it slowly faded away.

"I know you're somewhat famous, and… you're acquainted with Jet?" She tossed in with a guess. She'd tried. No use in trying to act like she knew. She simply _didn't._

He gave her a frustrated look, the amusement clear as well as his shock. He placed a hand on her brow, and she flinched. When he pulled away, she tied hard not to show the disgust.

_Look, buddy, only my firebender can touch me like that_, she wanted to growl. Soft, gold eyes smiled gently in her mind, and the rest of his face formed. Despite his expressionless features, she knew it was only a cover. His eyes hid nothing from her. At least not any more. She heard his laugh, his raspy voice, and his primitive responses when he didn't know what to say. She remembered the feel of his hair. She'd been right. It was soft and silky. When she'd told him, the most endearing shade of pink colored his ears. If not for her hand brushing one and feeling the higher temperature, she would have never noticed. And then the rest of him—his neck, shoulders, arms, hands, torso, long legs, smooth, rippling muscles…

"You reallly aren't running a fever?"

"Yep, I'm sure. No fever."

Dopily, she grinned before realizing Haru had taken her smile the wrong way. She flushed, her tan complexion gaining a pink tint. _Oh, La, she wasn't falling. She was going under._

"Why the blush?"

She moved away, and really did growl this time. He laughed at her embarrassment. She scowled and shook her head. Sap thought it was because of him. Just because he was famous did not mean he was that known.

He asked her to accompany him for coffee, and she'd dolefully agreed. She needed the coffee buzz. He promised to tell her of his connection to Jet.

How stupid she'd been. If only she'd seen ahead.

By the time they'd reached the table, four rounds of paparazzi had popped out of nowhere. Actually, it had been an accident with the first one came into the picture. When the camera flash went off inches from her face, she automatically went into defensive mode. Apologizing not only to the man who's suffered the coffee burns, she'd also repaid the lady who had unwilling donated her beverage for the cause. With an apologetic smile, she healed the man's scalded hands, shocking him into silence. And somehow, Haru had talked him into handing the role of film over just as soon as the second one appeared.

"How do you put up with them everyday?"

"Just ignore them." he sighed. "I have to. That's the way of life. You get used to it after awhile." Lifting the cup to his mouth, she followed his example and punctually moaned in pleasure. Closing her eyes, she breathed in the steaming aroma and cooled it just enough to consume without burning her esophagus.

"Ah, a devoted coffee person."

She smiled, her blue eyes happily showing the unashamed fact wasn't a secret. Coffee and chocolate were never to be wasted. One of the few things she actually applied to her life that worked out just fine.

"You've got me on that one."

After the second round, he began to talk about her coworker. With a smile on his face, she realized why he so openly expressed. She turned to see a group of girls staring across the street, openly gaping at the man she sat across from. _Poor Haru._ If the paparazzi weren't bad enough, add the energetic teenage fan girls and…

A new thought crossed her mind. The fan girls…

Better not mention this encounter to any rapid teenagers.

--

She would have never suspected. Jet… a millionaire's _son_? Even now, she laughed. That didn't seem to surprise her much. The attitude, the flawless body, the nice clothes… What else was new? Next time she saw him, she'd ask him why in the hell he was working in a kitchen.

Wait a minute… wait just a darned minute. She walked in silence, the details and facts swirling her into a daze.

Haru met Jet in a train station up north on his way back home from business his father had wanted him to do. The charismatic man Katara knew as her coworker had seen his potential—a totally chance state of interaction that Haru wouldn't say—and had sponsored him as well as got him into the acting field. Now four years later, Haru had Jet to thank for his career and his success.

When she opened the door to Iroh's shop, she saw three things. First, the front room was cleaned, dust free. Second, the lights--not the candles-- were actually on, and the blinds pulled back to let the world look into. And third, there were people sitting down in booths at the formerly empty room.

Whoa. How long had _she _been gone? It had only been a week or so at the most. Hearing clattering in the kitchen, she stepped behind the counter and let herself in. Seeing Iroh smiling and humming to himself, she grinned. He was happiest in his environment, making tea and sharing stories with people that would listen.

She took the steeped pot from his hands, and walked to the doorway. "Which table?"

He humming ceased, but his smile never wavered. He chuckled and waved a finger at her. He turned back to his tea, and started a new batch.

"The couple in the corner."

And that was how she spent her night off of work.

--

When she finished cleaning the tea cups, she separated them and placed them in their cabinets. Iroh had so many sets… She still hadn't figured out how the tea fetish had started, and she probably would never know.

"So how was your day, uncle?"

He put the last of the tea containers away picked up his own cup, exhaling a heating breath. They made their way to the front of the store, and she picked up a rag and started cleaning away the spilt tea that had slashed over.

"Very productive, my dear." He said from his seat, watching her through crinkled eyes as she whizzed by. "And yours?"

"…the same, I suppose."

"Oh?"

She continued wiping down the tables. When she stepped away to look around the room, she realized she wanted to know why he'd set it up again.

"Before I say anything, tell me why you decided to reopen."

"This? I'm not going to live forever, you know. And my dream has always been to pass on good tea to people who need it. It didn't seem like much of a hassle to renew my license and resurrect this ancient shop. I've been here for years, and the only reason I closed was because of my nephew."

Katara smiled. It seemed like he was going out of his way to withhold Zuko's name from her. If only he knew about the situation Katara held with his beloved nephew… For such a wise man, that seemed like such a diminutive thing to keep unsaid. And not once in the many times she'd been here had she mentioned his nephew's name either. If Iroh wouldn't say it, she wouldn't make him.

"But you seem to have had a terrible day, Katara. Is that why you didn't go to work?"

"…most likely."

"What's really on your mind?"

Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she sat down in the booth adjacent from the sweet old man. Slumping, she set the forgotten rag on the table and tried her best to fill him up to date.

"Will you promise not to tell a soul?"

Mockingly offended, he wiped a nonexistent tear from his eye, "What is said here will never leave this tea shop! Why would I go around gabbing my young friend's secrets and problems?"

"Thank you," she looked through lowered lashes before closing her eyes and resting her hand against them, covering them. "Uncle, there has been so much going on. I don't know where to begin."

"Then just start on what's bothering you the most."

So she did.

"My brother's temper tantrum destroyed my apartment."

Frowning, Iroh set down his tea cup and clasped his hands on his round stomach as his eyebrows shot up.

"He and Toph got into a fight and things got out of hand." She paused as she crossed her arms and rested her head on them, and she kept her eyes closed. This was the only way she could tell him about Aang. Surely, he would understand that she was having a hard time telling him this.

"And why so?"

"They were fighting over me."

He was silent and she felt guilt lap at her uselessly. If Iroh didn't completely understand what she was trying to get across, he wouldn't be able to see the entire depiction.

"Aang…he is my adopted brother. His culture was taken from him when we were growing up and from then on, I've always been there to look out for him. In every way he's my little brother."

She was so absorbed in her confession; she didn't notice the door open. But Iroh did. He looked up and was stunned, his old amber eyes grew wide and his jaw slackened. As she opened up, Iroh found that he couldn't speak. For the first time in years, he was at a real loss for words, choked up as he hid it from her and the young man standing near the front. At both the young woman and the figure standing in the door way, his eyes went back and forth. He could see both of them clearly, and he was shocked to realize that he was more than familiar with the tall dark hair young man. He picked up his porcelain cup and downed the rest of it in a sudden haste, bitter for some reason.

"Toph did _something_ to get him so angry. I don't know what really happened, but I do know that whatever she said really got to him. I thought it would be alright to leave them for one day. I left them by themselves and what do I get? My apartment is gone. I shouldn't have left them alone together, Iroh." She said on the verge of tears, her voice shaky. She kept her eyes closed as she lifted her head and rubbed her cheek, covering her closed lids in a childish attempt to hide.

"I shouldn't have given in to him—" she cut herself off and restarted. "The _one_ night I'm gone, Uncle, he loses it. Toph knew she what she was doing, she _knows _he's like a time bomb waiting to go off. She got him into the Avatar State, _damn it_, and I wasn't there to stop him!" she whispered hoarsely.

Opening her eyes, she noticed Iroh had gone pale. Concerned, she asked him if he was alright. He looked her straight into the eye and gave her a funny look. Opening his mouth, she knew he was going to say something, but he closed it and opened it once again, only to shake his head in disbelief.

"Go on." He forced out rather quickly.

She returned to her comfortable position with her eyes hidden, frowning at his discomfort. Was she making him uneasy? If she would have kept her eyes open any longer, she would have noticed that the old man had his eyes trained on the figure standing near the door, leaning against the wall.

"It's my entire fault. He needs me. He's not ready to face the world. He's almost there, but he's got a lot to learn before he's ready to expose his identity. And I can't have any distractions right now if that's what's going to happen."

"What do you mean, my dear?" he probed gently. Iroh signaled with a hand to the figure, waving him towards the kitchen. Silently, the person reluctantly moved to where he was directed, and silently shut the door behind him. _The poor girl doesn't need to be interrupted. But why did his nephew look at her like that? _Concern was a foreign emotion on his normally uncaring features, one that Iroh had never seen on that intensity.

"Aang is _my_ responsibility. He's almost mastered three of the four elements, but he's missing the last one—fire. It won't be long until I can't finally let him go, but until then, I have to keep him my top priority."

Iroh snorted, now knowing full well what the water bender did not. The blind earthbender had told him before that her best friend was oblivious to another's feelings. How her friend was over motherly to her family and friends, and that she was the responsible one, the one that carried the blunt burdan of the load. He was taking a wild guess that the girl had been referring to Katara because there weren't many that fit under that description that the earthbender girl mingled with.

"Even before love?"

Her eyes snapped open, and she sat up. A harsh scowl settled over his aging features, his seriousness making her look away.

"W-what?"

"Ah, it seems I was right." He smiled, and he stroked his beard in contemplation. "The first time you walked in here, you were trying your best to smile for others without them seeing past the smile itself. Now—well, before today—you smile like you've achieved the secret to happiness. If I may?" he asked her permission, but didn't wait to have it.

"The reason your friends were fighting was because of you, my dear. Of course, you already knew that, but you said you didn't know as to why. From what I'm hearing, (and from what I know from your friend Toph), it sounds like the avatar's jealous."

"Why?"

"Because, you don't love him the way he loves you."

Her eyes widened more, and she touched her necklace for reassurance, and sorrowfully got to her feet. _Oh, La… If that was the case…._

"What I want to know," Iroh mused, "is who exactly the lucky boy is." He saw the emotions pass over her face, and he chuckled. She'd be terrible at poker.

Katara realized that Iroh was bound to find out anyway. As she found the courage to put it into words, Iroh interrupted her. This time with a more serious question.

"Do you have a place to stay for the moment?"

She clenched her teeth, the moment gone. If he was hoping for the other question's answer, then it was going to have to wait. "Right now I'll be staying with Sokka, but it's only temporary. There are four and a half of us in a one bedroom apartment, and I don't want to be there much longer than I have to be."

"Who's...?"

"My older brother."

"Ah."

Katara gave him pretty smile, but it didn't reassure the firebender. _Still water runs deep_, he thought. She told him goodnight, and left him with his empty cup of tea and his other visitor.

"So," he mused, "How many pennies would your thought be worth, Zuko?"

The figure opened the kitchen door and crossed the room in a few steps. When Iroh opened his mouth to speak, his nephew stopped a few feet away and kneeled on the tile, bowing in reverence. Iroh sadly frowned at the gesture. For a few mintues, neither moved.

"I'm sorry, uncle. I never meant to turn my back on you. Please forgive me; I've been stupid and ignorant. I'm sorry—"

"I heard you the first time," he brusquely smiled, pulling the younger man into a loving hold. Wiping tears from his eyes, Iroh looked at his wayward nephew and noted the changes.

"So… about what you just heard."

"I won't tell a soul. What happens in the tea shop, stays in the tea shop."

"That's my boy."

Long into the night and after his nephew had bid him farewell, Iroh realized what emotion that had flashed across Zuko's face when he saw Katara. And with a jubilant laugh, he went to bed, wondering how in the world it had happened.

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**H-**  
BLAH! Had anyother migrane today. Came home and passed out for six and a half hours. I dreamed about a friend of mine that I haven't talked to for a while (among various other things). God, I miss her. Ever had that feeling? I felt terrible for not giving her a call, so... I guess I'll have to call her up sometime. After waking up, Igot out of bed and baked some _delicious_ little things covered in yogurt. Still don't know what they're called...


	12. Beginnings and Endings

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own any characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor do we own the show. We're simply writers manipulating them for our own twisted, fictitious use.

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**

Katara was calm as her sister in law cried out, clutching Sokka's hand. The contraction lasted no more than a few seconds, but for the newlyweds, it must have been eternity.

"Come on, Suki, you're doing fine." Katara crooned, glancing up to catch her brother pale face, lines of strain lining his features. She frowned at him, and told him to go to Suki's other side, so Aang could hold her other hand. He weakly nodded, slowly making it around the foot of the bed.

"On three. One…Two…_Three!"_ Suki cried out in pain as she pushed. Sokka fainted comically, landing in a heap behind her. Katara rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the sweaty face of the woman in front of her. It was a strenuous labor, but finally, with a push, the baby came out, and Suki panted in relief as Katara picked up her new born.

"It's a girl," Katara said for the others. Sokka was still out cold on the ground—his second faint. Suki lay on the bed, tears of joy streaming down her face as she wiped them away and watched the waterbender care for her child. Aang was both relived and excited, worn out and his hand red from Suki's squeezing. The doctor stood next to Katara, sighing heavily as he looked at the family.

The baby took her first breath and started crying as she cleaned and went through procedure for the infant. Quickly, she washed her and smile down at the small helpless creature. Her niece. Sokka's first born. So beautiful…

"You know you would always be welcome here, Katara."

"Wong Ze, I know that. This is just not my calling." She murmured as she handed Suki her daughter. She knew the friendly older doctor through his son. In the Northern Water tribe, Wong Ze's son was supposed to be Pakku's best student. In two months, Katara was passed them all, when the other waterbenders had been learning for years. They had hated her since.

Within a minute, Katara had roused Sokka. Geez. Her brother was so predictable sometimes. She and Aang left the room, an awkward silence as they turned to face each other.

"Aang." "Katara." They said in unison.

She waited for him to go frit, but his nervous stature made her step up to bat.

"I don't want things to be this way, Aang. Please," she pleaded him with tears glimmering in her eyes. "Let's stop fighting and go back forget whatever happened."

His face twisted in an odd look as he gulped. An eternity passed within the next minute, and she hadn't realized she was holding her breath until he squeezed it all out of her in a giant bear hug. She hugged him back and let the tears fall. It had been months since they'd been this close and it was tearing her apart. She'd missed her brother so much.

He stepped back and placed a tender kiss on her brow, gray eyes shining in exasperation. He shifted awkwardly as he looked away, avoiding her gaze.

"When Toph said you and Zuko… well, it didn't sit right with me. It still doesn't, but I can't do anything about it. It was bound to happen anyway, so…"

"Oh, Aang. Is that what this was about?" she smiled in amusement. That's right. When Zuko had started becoming more involved, she just sorta stopped hanging around with the airbender little by little.

"Yeah," he trailed off feebly.

She leaned against the wall and shook her head, her hands clenched slightly. If that's what Aang felt, then what would he do when things went deeper? She knew he didn't like Zuko, but what if she got them to get along? Zuko was a firebender, therefore an opportunity Aang couldn't pass over. Zuko was willing to teach Aang—they'd talked about how she would like the airbender included into their sparring time—but for a price. Dinner and dessert. As if she didn't already give that to him. Zuko only thought he was helping Aang with his self defense. She didn't have to say anything until they were in the actual training, right?

"Aang, I need to know if you're alright with my decision." Blue eyes closed as she waited impatiently for his answer.

This was her family. Zuko was _going _to be included. Suki liked him and so did her brother. When Katara told her older sibling where she was staying, he'd demanded to meet him. Tagging along, Suki had gaped as Zuko had welcomed them into his home. Both of them had approved that this was an acceptable environment (as long as they could visit.) He'd passed with flying colors. If things kept going this way, the next step was—

"It's isn't the choice I had in mind, Katara. But if he makes you happy…"

She gave him a peak on the check, her grin widening. Everything was going to work out. Now, for step two. Of both plans.

"But I'm not talking just about that. I have to see with my eyes that this is really happening, and maybe I'll accept… Oh, this isn't going the way I'd hoped."

Dread pooled in her belly, and she glanced away to watch as a young nurse helped a new mother into a wheel chair. Which reminded her—Suki had just made her a aunt. Wow, did things happen quickly. Hadn't it only been a few months ago that they had been in the same hospital down in the ER?

"Something's bothering you. Just try and get it out of the open so you can get it off your chest."

They sat down in the waiting room on the first floor and were quiet as Aang put his head in his hands and tensely spoke from his slumped position.

"You have always been there for me and Toph and Sokka. It just… was a shock. You've _never _been interested in other guys, Kat. You always sacrificed for me and Sokka. And…._ I_ could give you _everything_. Anything. But you won't let me."

A lump of trepidation formed in her stomach. Oh, Gods, Aang meant in a romantic way. _Eww._ That was nasty. No. There was no way. That was like incest. Revolting and disgusting in her mind. Aang was her brother, and _nothing _else. She sat uncomfortably as he went on, her mind trying to sort it all out.

"To hear that you were over at _his _house? Well, it just made me angry and confused. You never said anything, or mentioned what was going on. When Toph laid it out for me, I thought he was taking you away from us—it was like a punch in the gut. Katara, I just wanted you to be happy. That's all I can hope for now. I see now that I can't give it to you. I'm just sorry it took so long for me to realize that. But," another sinking feeling came over her. Not good. "He has to prove to me that he's capable. In a fight. And if he wins, I will accept. If he can't fight for you, he won't fight for you later."

But…

The fight never happened. The air bender would never get to spare or even tell the fire bender off.

The water bender would end up leaving behind her family and friends in search of her own path. She would grow world weary of life and succumb to an emotional void that would eventually bring her to a new town, escaping from the painful memories left behind. She would travel to the Northern Pole for a grievous two and a half months on her own before that tough. She would become the best of the best and her name would become known to all water tribe people. She would grieve for her losses, and live to see them unfound and divulge into blessings. She would spend the next year heartbroken and struggling to make more of her life—ceasing to bend when it wasn't needed. And she would eventually find herself giving away her mother's necklace.

And what would be the immediate cause towards this path when everything in her life was happy and implicated?

Zuko's death.

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For the safety of both izzi and heflo, this chapter's credit will be split evenly. Because we know that if you knew who wrote it and planned it from the very beginning, the person would cease to exist. Therefore, that would be the ultimate end to the story because _you_ (the angry mob), murdered the authoress that isn't quiet finished yet. And not even her partner in crime knows where this is going. So cut some slack. No bashing. Or there won't be updates until we feel like it. Either that or cold lumpy spinach will somehow be jinxed to follow you to your every meal.

And all because of a few confusing, not fully understood yet paragraphs.

**No flames. Read and review.**


	13. Return of the Blue Spirit

What if I was tell you that Katara woke up in Zuko's arms, they talked about their feelings, made passionate love until dawn rose above the horizon and lived happily ever after? Depending who you are, you might call me an asshole for skipping all that good writing and giving out the rest of the story in one sentence. Or you might give me hell for it because I'm being lazy and inconsiderate for giving you the biggest spoiler of all.

It's a good thing I'm not an asshole that summarizes things into one sentence spoilers, isn't it? Yeah. I'm not so sure how you're thinking the rest of ADITM is going to continue—I just know for sure I'm there with you guys, wondering what the hell is going to happen next in every new chapter. Trust me on this, I truly am wondering how the heck I've survived through this so far. Though I've enjoyed writing this as much as you have enjoyed reading it, I honestly have to confess I have no idea what I'm doing over here.

If I've just made you frown, I guess I've succeeded in proving a very factious statement that you should have already known by now.

The point of this commentary before is to give you a heads up of something I need help on.

Should I focus only on ADITM right now? Or should I go ahead and split my attentions to my other stories? Considering, like everything logical, if I solely continued on with ADITM, it would progress normally. If I decided to start a new story for you guys, then you'd have new conent of a completely different setting. Zutara, of course. Can't relly help that though. Can you blame me? I'm just as obsessed with this awesome pair as all the other loyal Zutarians.

I'm extremely sorry for the lack of updates, everyone. Life is just hectic and unpredictable. I didn't reach that goal of getting up to chapter 15 by my irthday, unfortunately. Smite me all you want to—I'm so, _so_ sorry for everyone's frustration.

Read and review.

**~heflo **

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**Disclaimer:**** I don't own ATLA or it's characters in any way or form. There will be no way what I write will ever be shown on a television screen or published in a book. I can make no money from my many hours of slaving away at my ancient, outdated computer and my long-since-due-for-a-replacement key board, staring at this cruddy monitor as I spend my time letting words fill the blank pages. I no longer have my best bud helping me edit this nightmarish mass of errors, embarrassing mistakes and horrible grammar that keep me up even longer in the morning (and night) when I should be doing other forms of school projects and mandatory thingies. Ahem, I repeat. I, heflo, own no right in a part of Avatar or it's characters. I'm just the lonely, caffeine deprived teenager twisting the characters into play for my own devious plotlines. There. I just broke my heart—happy? **

_A year and a half later…_

She was living in her new apartment. By herself. It had been a long wait, but she was slowly recovering the loss of her first love. A year and two months to be exactly from the day it had happened and now. It was a new town, a new car, a new job, a new beginning. She was starting over by herself, and this time, she wasn't going to move again.

Smiling, Kayla reached up for Katara to hold her. She did, cooing the toddler as she conceiled a sigh. Katara was on babysitting duty this weekend—Sokka had begged her so he could rekindle the passion with his wife. The little girl gurgled sweetly as she waved her chubby hands in a circular jerk. Katara smiled as her niece tugged gently at her ponytail. Sokka was paying her for her time, even though she told him he didn't, he was insisting on it. Katara herself was in the town of Hin Keng, as her family resided about a forty mintue drive away to the south.

"Alright, sweetie, how about you and I go grab lunch? Then we can go look at the pet store afterwards. Or how about going to the park? Yeah, I think that sounds better, Kayla. Is that alright with you?" She asked patiently with a gentle smile, her niece babbling nonsense as she sucked her thumb. The waterbender took that as a yes, and continued on.

The afternoon went by quickly for the waterbender and her niece, for her passing in a haze as she played with the baby in the park after they had finished lunch. It had been a simple day, but a happy memory the water bender would remember fondly.

She and Kayla ate dinner at McDonalds, and Katara felt strangely detached as her niece stole her fries to teeth on. The restruant was filled with families with small children, teenagers and grinning youths. The smell reminded her of how many times she'd come to a Micky D's when she herself had been growing up.

The last time she had been inside a McDonalds's establishment was with Zuko.

La, how she missed him.

He'd disappeared days after little Kayla was born without a notice or goodbyes. He'd dropped her off at her Iroh's and told her he'd be back in a little while. That he had wanted to take care of a business arangement so they could be free all weekend. That was the last time she had seen the firebender.

After a few days, she and Iroh were becoming anxious about his whereabouts. A few days later after that, a picture of Zuko had flashed across the screen and was reported dead—instantly killed by a drunken driver. She'd stopped breathing, tears blinding her eyes. At that, the older firebender had turned the television off and broke down, tears spilling out of his pained amber orbs. She had no more tears left either now. You'd think it was ironic that a waterbender could run out of tears, wouldn't you?

That was also the day she found out about who Zuko really was. Zuko—sweet, proud, sexy, caring, and _hers_— was the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. It had been on the national news broadcast that his body was being sent back to the royal family in the Fire Nation capital. In shock, she'd demanded Iroh to tell her of Zuko's life sorrow paused for the moment as darkened anger took its place. That led into a somewhat pleasent conversation of how Katara had met and befriended Iroh's nephew. And once that was done, chokingly, Iroh had told her sadly what had really happened to his nephew in his younger life, and she finally understood. Or at least a little more of the puzzle. There would always be gaps, because he was gone. She would never get to tell him goodbye. Or that she loved him.

Zuko's mother had disappeared at a young age; his father ascended the throne not long afterwards. He had been punished for speaking out in council meeting and had been banished at the age fourteen. Iroh had followed his nephew to the earth kingdom, and it was a long time before he actually came to live with him. Subsequent to attending and finishing collage under an alias, Zuko disappeared from Iroh's life. He had just got up and left one day. The older fire bender knew his location of course, but unless Zuko wanted him to, he wouldn't interfere.

He hadn't either.

Now, Iroh had kept his tea shop going, coping in his own way of his nephew's death. Aang would soon be fully fledged--Katara had seen to it herself that Aang had come and asked Iroh to teach him. His fire bending teacher was the fire lord's own brother—Iroh himself. Toph came down concisely twice a year to whip his—Aang's—butt into earth bending shape again. (That and to secretly check up on Katara. Toph had known all along who Zuko had been. She just thought Katara had known--so she hadn't said anything.)

And Katara still was Aang's water bending master.

For Katara, she was coping by staying busy. She had returned to the Northern Water Tribe for winter, everyday alternating from the training fields to the healing huts. Chief Arnook himself had given her the honors of acknowledging in front of his entire people that when Pakku passed, she would be welcome back to take his place.

Speaking of the old grump, Pakku had welcomed her back with open arms. Literally. When she approached him in the fields, he'd been pleasantly surprised until he saw the familiar expression. Determined, angry, confused and hurt. Nothing had shown on her face—it had been in her eyes. He'd known that look instantly and done something that he had never done for anyone else. He'd hugged her in front of his students, shocking her as well as the others as he told her it would be alright. And that had been what opened the flood gates. Her tears had welled up as he stroked her back in soothing circles and shushed the weeping women—his student as well as who should have been his granddaughter. Pakku understood. He'd helped her back to her feet in front of his snickering benders in training.

It had been a rare sighting that day—for both of the masters. For the few who took that as a signal of weakness, many more held new respect for them.

For those two months, she'd been implacable. Katara had told no one the reason for her arrival. Nor had she told Pakku. All the older waterbender suspected was this was where she needed to be until she thought otherwise. During her stay, she stayed with her grandmother's cousins--had bonded to her younger cousin quickly as they had gone to the healing huts together. Surpassing Pakku, she'd shocked the entire tribe when she challenged more than twenty men to a dual by herself. She had won. It had been a long fight, but she came out with only two injuries. Her shoulder had been dislocated and her heart was broken. Oh, wait. The former had already been there. And honestly, she could count the times she'd smiled on one hand from the day she had arrived to the day she had left.

Her closet was full of the clothes Zuko had bought her and she wore them with a smile. Her hair had grown a few inches, but she wore it down every day. Zuko had liked her hair kept down, had played with it many times. It was another tribute.

She had loved him. But she'd never told him. She'd wasn't even allowed the liberty to attend his funeral. Katara, _Master_ Katara of the Southern Water Tribe was still a virgin. No one would ever take his place, she'd sworned on the one year anniversary. It was too soon, anyway. At the rate everything was happening, she might die before that happened.

It had been announced on national television that it was to be a funeral only for family.

_The older firebender had just announced he wouldn't be attending his nephew's funeral - and because he wasn't, she couldn't go. He could have used an excuse as to why she was there with him, saying he needed company for the long travel. But he told her sternly - no._

_"Why won't you go, Iroh?" The blue eyed woman had demanded in an angry disbelief. The hours had ticked by as they discussed with each other, neither caring the passage of time as they brought memories of Zuko in discusion. _

_"I can't. There are reasons I do not live in my home nation anymore. My brother would kill me. As much as it pains me not to, I can't go, dear. And neither can you." When she protested, he cut her off. "Zuko wouldn't want them to know about you. You are safer here where they don't have an inkling of a clue of you. Think about what Zuko would have wanted. My nephew wouldn't want you known to my brother and my niece. And since we are on this topic, I think it's time we discuss your future._

Since then, she lived as they had discussed, though strongly on the line of rebellion. Zuko would want her safe, Iroh had told her. Azula and/or Ozai could never know her link to Zuko. Later, as Katara had thought about this, she'd piece another piece into the puzzle she'd titled Zuko's life. In that piece, she saw what would happen to her if the pair discovered her and of her connection to the prince. They'd come and find her, and do La knew what. She couldn't imagine what would really happen - she didn't know much of either of them rathar then their titles and scant strings of information. It was just an ominious feeling she contained of the two. It would be hard explaining, but she just _knew _what she was feeling.

She couldn't be connected with anything involving Zuko. That meant she couldn't set foot on his estate. Even to retrieve the things she'd left there. Not that she really cared what she'd left behind - if she couldn't have him, it didn't really matter to her.

_Zuko..._ He was gone and he wasn't coming back. She sustained and spent her nights remembering him and every moment she'd spent with him. Though she was being childish, it was like a part of her had gone with him. She couldn't find happiness in another. It wasn't that she didn't want happiness - no, far from it. She just _couldn't_. Katara couldn't think of herself and any other man in a physical relationship. The thought made her recoil in digust and painful, unresolved grief.

With a surprising strength, Kayla poked her. She blinked as her niece pointed to the door, dropping her half chew fry on the floor. She looked up and saw someone recognizable. His dark hair was unkempt and a tooth pick was held firmly between his teeth. When his dark eyes spotted her, he waved, relief clear in his features.

Jet.

What was he doing here?

"Katara." He said as the greeting. Crouching down, he smiled his charming grin at her niece, holding out his hand for her to inspect. Kayla giggled and latched on to his arm, grinning before poking his nose. Jet took the tooth pick out from his mouth and set it on the table, probably so the toddler couldn't get a hold of it.

"And who is this little one?" he asked in a friendly tone, looking at Katara's saddened expression.

She realized then she'd let her facade drop. She smiled, but the smiled never reached her eyes. Katara had practiced it so many times, even Aang believed it. And that only made her sorrow a shade darker.

"Jet, this is Kayla." She leaned back and watched as the toddler reached out for the earth kingdom man. "My niece - who has never met a stranger yet."

"Ah," he mused, picking up the girl as she emitted a shrill laugh with a grin. "And so you're stuck with babysitting."

"It's not so bad. One of these days she's going to figure out she can bend and she's going to make her daddy so proud."

Kayla squirmed in his grasp, so he set her down on the chair and she immediately handed Katara the packaged toy. Big blue eyes sparkled as Katara handed her the little plastic doll.

"I'm guessing that was an inside joke," he marveled with a nod. "So... beautiful weather we're having. It's unseasonly chilly - "

"Why are you here of all places?" Katara intupted, eyes narrowing.

He grinned and stretched his arms over his head. "I could ask you the same thing, Kat."

"Kat? Kat!" Kayla looked up, looking around for little cat that she thought Jet had mentioned. Katara almost laughed at her niece's innocent, but decided against it.

"Kayla, say Kat." She said to the confusion of the one year old. Kayla cocked her head up at her pretty aunt before testing it out a few times, but the novelty of it quickly faded and the toy becoming more interesting.

"Seriously, Jet, what do you want?"

"What?" He asked innocently, chuckling. Leaning forward, he stole the last of her fries, amusement filling his dark eyes. It didn't bother her. Not in the least, actually. At least he wasn't reaching for her shake yet. He'd regret getting inbetween this waterbender and her rare indulgence of chocolate.

"You're beautiful today. Has it really only been a year? God, you're even more breath taking now then back then. Princess, how have you been? I haven't seen you in forever. Ah, that reminds me. Since I am in need of a date for Haru's party… would the incredible woman sitting before me grace me with her presence a bit longer?" he trailed off, suggestively raising his upswept eyebrows.

At the word 'date', numbness settled in her chest. First, because it was Jet she was hearing this from, and second… well, you get the point. It would be years before she started to heal from the loss. Even then, there would be emotional scars that would never fade completely.

"Haru?"

"Surprise you? He and I go _way_ back."

"How is he?"

He frowned, a little puzzled at her nonchalance. Was she the only single woman in the earth kingdom not infatuated by the famous earth bender? Her curious indifference sat uneasy with him.

Apparently so.

But it also brought a frown. And a shread of his own wondering thoughts.

"Fine, I guess. But aren't you going to ask me what the party is for?"

She shrugged, wiping a splatter of ketchup off her niece's chin despite Kayla's irritated protest. She stuck her tongue out at the one year old, and happy laughter erupted from Sokka's child. Katara couldn't help but smile. If her brother's reservations went in his favor, little Kayla might be getting a sibling in nine months time. Oh, poor Suki. Wait… Why did she have the strangest urge her brother was doing something extremely stupid? As in extremely and utterly neanderthal like?

A picture of a lamp danced in her head as she drank the last of her chocolate shake. When she finished, she got up and threw the trash away, picking up her niece as Jet opened the door for them.

"I know it's on short notice, but would you go with me?"

"It all depends, Jet. In what manner would I be going in?"

"In the back of a limousine. It's going to be a small gathering. You see—"

Her attention wandered. She couldn't help it, unfortunately. He was just too gregarious for his own good. He just kept going on and on. She tuned him out, and watched as Kayla tried to grab onto her purse zipper.

"No."

"Why?"

She rolled her eyes at his whine. Wasn't he an adult? But as she glanced over at him, she realized she felt so much older than the man walking beside her. La, she was only in her twenties! What would she feeling like when she reached her forties? _If_ she even made it to see thirty, given the rate of her melencholy.

"I meant to my niece. Kayla, don't open that, honey." With a pout, Kayla looked like she had been caught stealing from the cookie jar. Not quite, but close enough. She mumbled meaningless cuteness as she bit her soft plastic toy with enthusiasm. "Now what were you saying?"

"Oh, so then you're coming tonight? It's a definite?" He nudged hopefully. "I can pick you up at nine?"

"Huh?"

"Katara, you tuned me out again." Jet frowned. "I should know better than that by now. You did it then too. If you—"

She had no idea what the hell she was getting herself into, but if it meant adult interaction, she was all for it. She was worn out from the baby and hopefully her neighbor wouldn't mind. Would she? Jin was a good person. She knocked on Katara's door to drop off food when there was too much, and she invited her to a few outings. She adored Kayla, so maybe…

"Jet, I'll do it."

"Really?" Pause. "Well, um, huh. Okay. Erm… I thought it would take more convincing than just that. So…" he ran a hand through his hair, blowing out a heavy breath. "do you have anything to wear?"

That was the first and only time she'd see him for a loss of words.

--

Jin was happy to help her out. She even helped Katara fix her hair before she left her and Kayla with the television in Jin's apartment. The earth kingdom woman had grined proudly as Katara rasied an eyebrow at her reflection. Hmm. So having a profession hair stylist as you next door neighbor did have perks. Her hair had been arranged into a simply complex style and her make up completed in all under an hour. A miracle, in all honesty. Katara had tried to pay the friendly woman, but she had refused to accept. She'd waved Katara off with smile, and a giggling "Have fun tonight!"

Jet had picked her up outside her apartment decked out in a tux. Designer, naturally. He'd whistled, complimenting her with a wicked grin. Actually, she was a bit self conscious this dressed up, but she had to say so herself, this was more effort than she normally put into appearance. A lot more. Alright. A hell of a lot more. She hadn't recognized her reflection in the slightest. She'd never worn something anywhere similar to this. If her dress plunged any further…

She wore the dress Zuko had bought her last year. It probably cost more than her car, to boot. It was eloquent and well tailored for her body, dark blue and complimenting her curves as it hugged her body in a sheath. The dress felt wonderful against her skin, and she had shook her head as she adjusted it several times. This would be the first time wearing it. And would probably be the reason for her taciturn if Jet noticed or asked.

* * *

She and Jet had had a long conversation in the car what they'd done with the last year. It was good to know he was coping well. Zuko had been a good friend to Jet. He was still working in the restruant (despite his oodles of money). He'd been seeing several women, and made it loud and clear she might want to watch her back when they arrived. And though she could see a smile on Jet's face, his eyes seemed veiled. Like he was hiding something.

They arrived to a private estate an hour later, and Jet helped her out of the limousine. She's watched as the gates had opened to reveil lush, well groomed gardens. The home didn't dissapoint her expectation, either. In some way, it sparked her awe, and she took in the details of the multi-million dollar home.

Haru was surprised to see her when he caught a hold of Jet. Shocked, really. His eyes gleamed brightly as he looked her over. Jet nodded knowingly. He placed his hand at the small of her back, introducing them formally.

It wasn't needed.

"It's been a while, Katara."

"It really has been." She smiled as he picked up her hand and placed his lips againt her knuckles. This was his party, but she really should have paid attention when Jet told her the reason. In the span of the last year, he'd only grown more handsome. La, she must look like a fool chatting causally with the faultless actor.

"So _that's_ why you weren't fazed." Jet mused. He lifted his glass tumbler to his lips and grinned to himself.

"Jet, not everything in life concerns that subject." Katara muttered in a low tone."But since you're never going to change, I might as well have not said anything."

Haru laughed abruptly and toasted her with his own glass, catching the watchful eyes of many people around them. Flashing bulbs snapped as he put his hand on her arm and smiled. That only made the paparazzi worse. La, next issue of any gossip magazine would have this one plastered all over the covers. So she did the only thing she could. She smiled softly in return. Haru had once told her to just let them have what they want and they would get tired of it eventually. Her nerves were frazzled, but she forced herself to seem as though at ease in this upscale mansion.

Hadn't Jet said this was a _small_ gathering? His definition of the word must be different than hers. That must be the problem. At least two hundred people, including a few reporters with camera men dotted here and there. All were dressed exquisitely. The only difference between the two clicqs were the props.

And this was only in the front part of the home.

The women around Katara were wearing hundreds of thousands dollars worth of jewelry. That was probably the first thing she noticed. The next was that they were all thin and beautiful, flawless trophy wife or model material. Inwardly, she shrunk back. She wasn't on their level, so why was she here? She inconspicuously glanced down at her attire and mentally winced. Compared to the rest of the female crowd, she must look so out of place. Quickly comparing, she made it duly noted that she was probably the only bending female too. It was the way she carried herself. The rest of them were haughty and arrogant, still on the high horse. Like they were above everyone else. How did they hide it under the innocent façade?

He whispered in her ear, disguising the gesture as something more personal. And he did a pretty good job too. More flashes of cameras and a flurry of voices rose up in the air. He let his hand settle on her side as he spoke. No wonder he was in the top of his world. He made it look like they were sharing an intimate moment when it wasn't even close. _Smart move, Haru. Though somehow, I feel like I'm being used. Are you using me as a front page distraction from yourself? Are they going to try and stalk me to find out who I am?_

"You're welcome to the rest of the mansion if you want, Katara. This is the only room the media sharks are allowed. If you wander down the hall and take a left, there's fresh coffee in one of the sitting rooms. You prefer…Hazelnut, I believe?"

At _that_, she perked up. Coffee? Hazelnut? Aw, he did remember. Brownie points for him. She gave him a grateful smile as he pulled away. He winked and moved towards the throngs of his guests.

One reporter tried to step in front of her as she turned around, but for once, Jet came in handy. He 'accidently' spilled his brandy on the equipment, ruining it instantly. That caused a distraction and she flashed him a grateful nod and made herself shrink away as the stuttering woman turned her furious attention to the feigned look of horror from Jet.

She ducked out of sight and made her way through the exquisite home. Muted greens and browns colored the walls, the floors wooden and the rugs lush under her heels. The price tag of the interior was father up than she cared to know, but she was curious. Her heels softly _click-clicked _as she toured the rest of the mansion on her own.

She found the coffee in a beautiful room, everything screaming of wealth. It was empty, she found to her joy. She found little delicate coffee cups with little vines winding around the top. A white clad server popped out of nowhere and filled her cup, averting his gaze and blushed at her thanks.

She let out a heavy sigh as she sat down on a plush chair and slowly savored the dark, nutty taste of probably the best coffee she'd ever had. In a matter of minutes, a few ladies wandered in, spotting her and split up. They were pretty --breath taking-- woman, but they held themselves as though they were the queens of the hill.

Oh, heck. One was wearing a diamond tiara.

"Who are you?" the one with the forest green floor length said as she stirred her coffee. "One of Jet's new toys? Or Haru's?"

Her blue eyes narrowed. Her and Haru... an item? That wouldn't be plausible. Her and Jet? No. Hell, no. It wasn't happening. This was a favor to him. She was his former coworker, nothing more. He was a pain in the ass occasionally, nothing less.

"I'm a friend of Jet and Haru, actually."

"Hah, like that's possible. He's such a player. So, how was he?" Another asked, her light brown eyes calculating the water bender's frown. "He's normally rough with me, but what was he with you?" She paused momentary before her eyes light up. "And what's Haru like? Gentle? Rough? Kinky? He won't let any girl close to him. It's odd how you just…appear… out of nowhere and get his attention. So Jet _and_ Haru. You lucky bitch. Which one? Or is it both?"

And same as before. _Hell,_ no.

"I really am just a friend of theirs." She said as she sipped her second cup. It was vindicated somehow to her. She felt extremely uncomfortable under the weight of their watchful eyes. It was only right she have every possible means of defense running through her mind. Whether verbal or phical, she would defend herself. Yep. That's pride for you. Maybe it was just an inborn factor, but she could have sworn they were waiting for her to react before pouncing. But she wouldn't give them that. She would hold her own. But she wouldn't let them make a fool out of her either.

A shadowy possibility slinked around her thoughts. She shoved it back down and made herself relax.

A vitriolic talent that could only be used near the full moon, she had perfected it within the last year for own personal reasons. Ever since Zuko… had left… she felt watched, stalked. And on a few actual occasions, she had been. On the full moon of every three months or so, she would find herself in the alleys with some group of thugs trying to mug her. It had only been a suspicion at first, but it had worked. The initial beginning of it had been the night when she had healed Suki. From there on out, she had suspected that it was possible. And it was. _Blood bending._ She could will the blood in another's body if she so pleased. If it wasn't in a life or death possibility, she would proscribe it. She alone knew of this ability she possessed. It was a mutation of water bending, an accidental, unlocked capability. But it was plausible to be just as good as it was bad. She had detested it at first, but as it proved to be handy, the hate lessened as it proved its usefulness.

But back to the story.

She also noticed that her lack thereof jewels were probably why they thought more highly of themselves and her as nominal. She would have worn her mother's necklace, but it wasn't hers anymore. She'd given it to Suki to hold for Kayla when she was old enough. These women had on such sparkly jewelry, that Katara knew that a single rock was out of her paychecks.

"I wouldn't consider that kind of thing—someone else can take them. Whoever thinks otherwise, it won't bother me. But Jet… _please_, someone take him out of my hair—he's too verbose."

Seriously, like the first time they'd met, he'd made it known loud and clear he desired her. More now so than then. She didn't like it at all. The thought of him doing things like that made her feel betrayal. _Zuko…_

Another sat down near her, a coffee cup amid her long fingers. She was genuinely smiling at Katara, her pale complexion flawless beneath the low light setting. "Well, if that's the case, my name's Song."

Katara nodded back, introducing herself. Two walked out just then, their haughty little noses turned up at her polite smile. Heh. She should have splashed some coffee on their evening gowns. That would have embarrassed them. Or at least been pay back. Wonder how much the dry cleaning bill would be if they decided that rather than throw it away.

Time passed quickly, she and Song were having a good time talking over coffee. The earth kingdom beauty was an actress that Katara had known of since her teenage years, surprisingly. Song had told Katara what had been a good hour's worth of stories before they realized how much time had passed.

"What I'm curious about," Song said from her seat in an angled, deep green chair, "is why Haru toasted you. Before, he was just…acting. I've known his for a while now - we've also been in several films together. But that.. he didn't. You made him laugh. I'm jealous. Haru's never done that to anyone else. Do you always have that affect on men?"

"I should hope not." Katara sputtered. She wasn't even that pretty. People were either attractive or they weren't. She just wasn't one of those lucky ones. Or, at least that she had always thought. "I don't want the attention, honestly."

"Why?" Curious, Song nibbled on a coffee cake. Katara started to reach for one herself, but stopped herself. She really shouldn't, but…

"Just go ahead. One's not going to hurt." The brunet smiled as Katara blushed. Alright, then. Screw abstence. Delicious coffee cake it was. She closed her eyes in rapture as it sent her taste buds to heaven.

"You were saying?"

"Oh! I'm sorry." She apologized. "I'm just not really looking for a relationship at the moment."

"Why not? Every girl hopes of having her own prince." Song said as she brushed away imaginary lint from her dress.

Katara visibly flinched, and a painful stab sliced into her chest. Even if Song had meant that figuratively, it was more literal in her case.

"That's just it. I _did _have one." She told her companion sadly, honestly. A few men walked in, and carried on conversation as they helped themselves to the coffee. Now that someone had pointed it out, Katara did notice the glances that came her way.

"_Oh."_

A while later (it was sometime past two in the morning), Song left her to mingle. For a few minutes, she recuperated in the cozy chair. The men were still there too. Their usless chatting no longer what Katara knew them to be doing. They were slipping her glances, eyeing her like candy. She didn't like it. It was awkward on her part to be stared at. It wasn't normal to her. So she got to her feet to regroup with Jet.

She forced a smiled on her face as a few threw themselves in her route. She inwardly cursed them. How dare they become dilatory road blocks! It was a long hour as she slowly made her way through the mansion. It had been tiring (and somewhat flattering) being complimented. It wasn't for a while until she realized that every man that she'd spoken to had been equally flawless. Beautiful, even. La, so _that's_ why the other woman hated her.

As she entered the powered room, she found women giving her haughty looks, exiting as she approached them. She took ten minutes letting her hair entirely down, using a bit of water bending to undo the hairspray. It was uncomfortable to have one's hair glued and bobby pinned to their head unnaturally into ludicrous curls—when she already had them somewhat naturally in the first place. Her hair fell in soft waves, framing her face and changing her appearance as it brushed her waist in soft curtain like tresses. _Ahh,_ she thought, _it's better now—I can actually feel my scalp. Bobby pins really do the trick,_ she winced as she pulled the last one from her hair.

In the mirror, a totally different person stared back at her from the reflection of last year. She'd matured physically. Oh, Katara squinted into her reflection. She could still be recognized, but small things had filled out. Her lips and curves, for example, had become fuller. Odd. Shouldn't things like that stop after the dreadful teenage years? Was it just her, or was her skin glowy too? Her makeup had been very little to begin with. It must have accidently come off. At least she still had on the water proof eye stuff.

Hmm, odd. Even her eyes seemed bluer.

In a brusque, aggrieved way, she found herself minutes later being squished between a wall and a male body. He was drunk. In seconds, he found himself flat on his bum, blinking in confusion.

_Thank you_, _Zuko, for teaching me real self defense._

She hurried as she avoided him and his slurred yells in search of one of the two possible reposes. Though she could hear Jet, she found Haru first. His back was to her, but the obscenities rolling of his tongue in quiet mumbles were surprising. He wasn't the type to swear without motive… was he?

And the reason for his agitated forthright?

The first thought for her was too many drinks. It seemed like all the males were glassy eyed. And the women had been giggling as the colloquial touches were undeterred to their bodies by said replete, drunk men. Why in the world did Haru have a night club themed room in his home? It was literally like she was inside of a fancy downtown bar—Dj and bar tenders included. Was that a giant fountain filled with _Champaign_? Her eyes traveled the plethora and suppressed a gasp as the very mindful fact of Haru's jumbled crescendo entered her field of vision.

The Blue Spirit.

Okay, then. That would be a perfect reason.

She could only see his profile, but La, this was a shock. The last anyone had heard of him had been almost two years ago. Looks like he wasn't going to just fade out of the picture completely.

He had his swords drawn and he was motioning for the jewels to be dropped to the floor. She stepped back behind the giant man as her turned to look for others. Song tried to blend in, but unfortunately, he caught sight of her large dewdrop diamonds haning around her neck. He pointed his sword at her and then at the other women taking off their accessories.

Song paled, shaking her head.

Katara knew what was wrong. Song had told her that those diamonds had been her grandmother's. The same grandmother that had rasied her after her mom had died at age eleven in a car crash. She knew exactly the feeling. But... she wasn't wearing her mother's necklace right now. Or any other time, in fact.

The real reason she couldn't stand to wear her beloved mother's necklace was because the nightmares had returned after Zuko… you get the point. She'd wake up in cold sweat, yelling with tears rolling down her cheeks. Once she had taken it off, they stopped. Just like that.

Song was the last person with valuables. The men had taken off their watches, the women—everything that was sparkly or shiny. The twin swords slashed as their owner menacing stepped forward and sliced the air, a voiceless demand she take off the jewels or else. Katara didn't think, but reacted.

She used the people as a cover as she crept closer towards her new found friend. Pausing, she glanced up and held her breath. Someone shoved her forward, she only had time to look back to see it was the girl that had had the glittering emerald tiara. Hate gleamed in her cold eyes and her innocent smile was quietly for Katara only. An older man grabbed her arm, steadying her. She didn't have time to thank him, she found the Blue Spirit approaching the young earth kingdom girl.

She stepped out in front of her new friend and put a barrier in between the swords and the parlayed actress, her impassiveness adhered to her quiet determination.

He froze, hesitating before stepping back. She blinked in surprise.

He opened his stance, his swords swiping closer and closer as he came forward.

And again, she reacted.

Every liquid in the room flew in the air toward the masked man, freezing into razor pointed shards. Gasps sounded around her, but she didn't notice. She pushed them forward, he sliced them all down but one. Blood dripped from his leg, but he didn't stop. The moon was only half full, but she still had an advantage. She froze the wound on his leg, surprising herself that she didn't want more bloodshed. It would slow him down at least. No one smart enough would ignore the threat of hypothermia.

As she was about to freeze his feet to the floor, he grabbed Jet, holding the edges of the swords against the pulse. She dropped her bending and stood up ramrod.

The world narrowed for Katara. It was just her, Jet, and The Blue Spirit. It hurt to breathe. Seeing Jet in danger terrified her. She couldn't lose another person. Not yet. Even if Jet was a rat bastard at times, he didn't deserve to die. She didn't want to see _any_one get decapitated if she could help it.

The Blue Spirit backed up, Jet still hostage in his grasp. His laughing blue mask turned to look over his shoulder then back at her. He tilted his head towards the door then back to her.

"Katara, I think he wants you to follow him." Jet hissed through clenched teeth. She almost didn't but when Jet gasped and drops of crimson dripped off of the glimmering sword, she took the first step and stopped. And another.

Soon, she found herself being bound at the hands and feet, sitting in the back seat of a fairly clean (fill in the blank). Jet sat beside her, his face grim, in the exact same position she was. The only difference was that dried blood crusted in a thin line on his throat. It had barely broken the skin, but to Katara, it was better than it looked. The ride was silent as the masked man drove them farther and farther away.

The vehicle veered sharply, and soon Jet found his face buried into her lap. She didn't bother telling him to move, because her icy glare had been enough. Who knew how hard moving could be when you were tied just right? Her hands were behind her shoulder blades and her ankles were crossed before being tied together—the perfect combination in terms of kidnapping. Or adult napping. She couldn't do anything but hop and fall over if she tried to get away anyway. **(Grrrr….)**

Jet wasn't having much luck getting up off her and he eventually gave up. "Please don't take this the wrong way, Ice Princess, but you _smell_ unbelievable delicious tonight." He said with an obvious grin.

If she could have hit him, she would have. Hard. But since she couldn't her scowls would have to do. And then when they got out of this, she'd freeze him where the sun doesn't shine. For getting her into this mess, and for that last perverted comment.

Eventually the car stopped and their captor got them out of the car. She couldn't see a thing. Seriously, after her feet were untied, everything around her went hazy in an strange fog.

"Ow!" Jet hissed as his foot made contact with a concealed object. But their captor wouldn't stop. Her eyes finally adjusted and the surroundings were confusing to her. The smell of fire lilies and honey suckle greeted her as she inhaled.

Zuko's home?

She made an abated whimper as they stopped. The Blue Spirit had glanced at her as she turned away and looked out over the pond. The sadness was coming back, swelling in a callous oscillation. And it was worse now that she was here. Her chin trembled and she closed her eyes in a struggling attempt to stop the tears.

"Oh, geez, Kat. Don't cry. _Please_ don't cry. Anything but that. Here, let me get that for you." Suddenly the bonds were gone and Jet was patting her head in an embarrassed attempt to comfort her. She looked up at him and swallowed her tears as her brows shot up, blinking in shock.

"How—"

"I wasn't really captive, Ice Princess."

"Huh?"

"I had fun tonight. We need to do this more often, Kat. Thanks again for coming.." he turned to face the Blue Spirit and a look fiery exasperation crossed over his face. "What were you _thinking_? That flipping _hurt_, you asshole. If you ever do that again..." And to the opened mouthed water bender and the masked swordsman: "Play nice you two."

And then he was gone. Jet disappeared into the misty veil of fog, leaving her and the Blue Spirit together on the old wooden bridge.

Alright, what had just happened? Turning to face her captor, she stepped into a stance, ready to finish what she had started earlier. Her eyes narrowed as The Blue Spirit untied the sheath from him and dropped them to the ground. What—?

Arms wrapped around her and she gasped. Unconsciously, she stiffened. But warmth radiated from the body, and she unconsciously relaxed into it. For a split moment, her grief exploded so viciously in her chest that she almost believed it was her lover that held her instead of a stranger. For that moment, she savored the contact of what she so sorrowfully wished was Zuko. The feel of her memories blinded her, and her senses believed that the Blue Spirit was another.

But that moment passed. As the man drew in a deep breath, she was shaken from her frozen grief, and furiously, she struggled. How could she have let her silly fantasy bring her out of reality, she thought bitterly. Zuko was dead. The man that had just touched her wasn't Zuko. He was the Blue Spirit. He kidnapped her. He was a wanted criminal of both the fire nation and the earth kingdom.

She was left go from the stranger's embrace, and she stumbled, catching herself by grabbing the railing of the bridge. Katara turned around and drew up water from the pond, and froze the Blue Spirit from the torso down. He didn't struggle as she had to escape her restraints. Teeth clenched, she went behind him and jerked the ties, unknotting them, and the mask slipped to the ground with the sound of wood hitting wood.

The torches went out.

Katara, Master Waterbender of the Southern Tribe, former girlfriend of Prince Zuko, and foster sister of the Avatar, was furious. She knew where she was—in Zuko's garden on one of the small bridges connecting the walkways that was long since been used. Leaves still covered it from the previous autumn, and dirt residue had gathered. And right now, she was confused. Extremely, and inevitably confused.

A twinge of fear and violence fed her doubt, her suspicion fueling her blind search.

In illogical exploration, she felt her way around to where she knew the man's face would be. Her hands wandered to where her ice hadn't entrapped her prisoner. He was taller than her. Even with his dark clothing as a barrier, there was muscle. Firm sculpted muscles that probably covered his entire body.

So she reached up higher and touched the top of his head. Using her fingers to feel what she couldn't see, she closed her eyes and tried to picture him. As hard as she try, she couldn't.

His hair was… silky. It was longer than most and it smelled clean. She rubbed it in between her fingers for a minute and tugged it slightly. Nope. Not a wig. She started at the brow line and went down. He had strong features, and smooth skin. His brow, cheeks were hauntingly perfect. No flaw to marr his skin - whoever the man may be. There was slight stubble along his jaw, rough against the back of her hand. She hesitantly touched his jaw before her knuckles brushed his lower lips on accident.

In the darkness, she frowned. Was he…smiling?

Her thumb was gently nipped as she tried to run it over his unseen, smiling features. She once again touched his cheek, but something rang odd. Hands holding his face, she opened her eyes. The torches were once again lit. Very, very faintly, but she could still make the person out.

She gasped as she heard the familiar raspy laugh and stopped breathing. After a moment, Katara's head became light; no coherent thought graced her mind as she forced herself to swallow. Heat sizzled and the ice melted. She took an involuntary step backwards as the voice of someone who'd been thought dead spoke to her in a gentle mummer. And as a very familiar set of lips crashed into hers, the rest of her remaining air slammed from her lungs as a pair of large gloved hands cupped her face. He kissed her, desperately hungry and seeking. She trembled, tears rolled in hot rivulets down her cheeks.

"_Z-zuko?" _Katara gasped out, jerking away from the firebender in dismay and hurt.

"The one and only." Pause. "Agni, I've missed you."

And what did she do then?

Her eyes rolled back, and the poor water bender fainted.

* * *

I'm tired. Really and truely tired. Sorry for any errors in word usage or punctuation.


	14. Vivid Dreams

**Disclaimer: Same as normal. I don't own ATLA. I just write for the hell of it.**

* * *

It hurt to think.

Her head ached in two or three places— but why did it hurt? While everything might be hazy, she was certain of one defiant fact.

She was being carried, and the side of her face pressed to a warm chest. Her eyes seemed to be glued together.

But she didn't care.

She was safe.

And someone was murmuring softly. It was a familiar voice, but she couldn't place it. Right now, she was tired. Her chest was tight and her eyes burned. She couldn't remember what had caused those things, but then again, she couldn't really think right now. She'd deal with things later. Preferably after a long nap.

--

She moaned. It was a raw strangled sound. The only thing that would come out from the water bender. It was a pitiful plea in all truths, but it worked. Gentle touches feathered her head, tender in response. She recognized the touches instantly. Calloused, strong hands, familiarly delicious as they brushed her almost undetectably.

Zuko.

It was a dream. He wasn't real. This was nothing more than a happy, innocent dream. Her mind had taken her to a better time, when Zuko was still around.

She forgot of her discomforts and roused enough to mumble his name. He was her everything. His golden eyes so filled with warmth, it made her reach for him, something inside afraid he would disappear again.

They were in his room. She atop of his covers watching him watch her. The red silk was wonderful against her skin, and her limbs were like lead, too heavy to move, much less budge.

She burned. A fire roared inside of her, and she could see it taking shape. In her lower belly, it started until it spread to the outmost part of her body. She could also see that same seat. Reflected in Zuko's eyes. It only made the desire stronger when he leaned over her. He looked rugged and possessive, eyes glowing not so unlike a hungry predator. And he was utterly sexy. His hair was tousled and messily falling into his eyes. He drew closer and she found herself staring at his parted lips as he leaned over, the gap between them closing. She closed her eyes as he took her face in his hands.

Katara kissed him, excitement climaxing as she succeeded in drawing a moan from the firebender. Passion exploded. They kissed each other in a fierce hunger that couldn't be rivaled. She was controlling her dream, manifesting it to what she had been yearning for. She knew it was a dream, but her hold on reality was distorted as her world became solely of her senses and Zuko. Screw marriage. This was her choice—her decision.

And she chose Zuko.

She'd already lost him once. She wouldn't let him slip away again.

She couldn't think as he pulled her up into his lap, her bare skin touching his. A crackling sensation arched from his skin to hers as the contact heightened. In a husky whisper, he turned her around and lifted her hair away to fasten something to her neck. She fingered it, bitter sweet joy as her fingers felt the pendant. It was then she realized what it was.

A necklace. She already knew what it was, but the meaning of it was sinking in. He was asking her to marry him. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him again. Long and hard. His soothing words comforted her, but they were unintelligible to her. To her ears, it was nothing but white noise. She was struggling to distinguish them, but the blood pounding in her ears was keeping her from that. She could hear his raspy tone, and could hear the emotions, but it wasn't distinguishable.

He pulled away and took her hands in his, tenderly pouring his words in a soft murmer. Taking a sharp intake of air, he looked up with a nervous grin.

"Will you marry me?"

Now _that_ had been perfectly clear.

Even if this dream wasn't real, it was the closest she would ever get to actually hearing those words. When she woke from this dream, surely whatever deity wasn't so tortuous as to put her through this kind of pain—to let her dream of the forbidden? They knew he was dead. They _knew_ this dream would haunt her. She couldn't have him anymore. The Zuko before her was just a figment of her imagination. Her senses ruled her, and everything seemed so _real_. It was sweet torture to her and she craved it. Anything to have the fire bender back.

"Yes."

A moment later, he pulled away to reach the nightstand. He pulled out a sketch book. Every page was filled. Completely of one subject.

Of her.

From the first to the last page, nothing but herself adorned the pages.

As she was looking at it, the fire bender's words became clear. No longer muted, but understandable as if he was really there. But he wasn't. It was just a vivid life like dream that she couldn't compare to any of her other dreams of him.

"Every day I thought of you, Katara. Azula found me. She took me away. I was locked up in a cell inside of the Fire Nation's most prestigious prison compound, and the world thought I was dead. She and Ozai made it look like they cared when my 'body' was shipped back, but they didn't. They killed an innocent man and put him in my car and paid a man to hit him full on. They hide me from everyone. Tortured me. She got Mai involved. She— never mind. It was so hard back there, Katara—you were the only thing keeping me sane."

He played with her hair, his touch electrifying as he accidently grazed her skin. His features were murderous, and his eyes slits. She stroked the band on his wrist, the gold somehow heated enough to burn. She flinched back, but he captured her hand in his and held it. It was comforting. At least to her. As she looked up, she saw him relaxing, closing his eyes and gently squeezing her hand. Apparently it was to him too.

Her gaze caught sight of the gold studs in his ears. Reaching out with her other hand, she lightly rubbed the gold earring, before looking back down.

The pictures he had drawn were stunning. Beautiful. It was strange seeing herself how he saw her. His pictures were honest, nothing added or exaggerated. Just simple pictures. The way he saw them, truthfully. It was his perspective.

He had captured every emotion possible. He'd drawn her doing everyday things. She was sleeping, her long hair pooling around her, a sad smile on her face. She was smiling, laughing joyfully at something unseen. She was frowning, a sparkling angry tint to her eyes. She was bending, the water surrounding her, her expression serine. She was cooking, what seemed to the amazed water bender as…pancakes?

Pages later, she noticed that every picture had her in a different setting. Like he had committed moments of time precisely to memory—capturing them even after they had passed.

She was cooing over a baby, the baby peaceful in her arms. She was reading the newspaper, biting her bottom lip as her brow furrowed. She was lying back, watching the stars. In one picture, she and Uncle were laughing, sharing tea. In another, she was threatening Jet with a very large cutting knife—him holding up a hand, innocently smiling, a spice container behind his back. One with her, Aang, Toph, Sokka and Sokka's family—at the beach. She was surfing; Suki was bottle feeding baby Kayla. Toph was sunning herself, Sokka was tinkering with some doohickey and Aang was fumbling with his cell phone. They made a happy looking bunch.

Katara paused as she remembered that day. Aang had come to a truce with the fire bender, and had invited him along to the shock of Katara. Despite barely knowing her family, Zuko had accepted and had smiled as he shook Aang's hand. Imagine to her delight as they reached the beach. Katara distinctly remembered Zuko throwing her in, pulling his shirt off to jump in after her. His jaw had dropped—completely unheard of for him—as she disappeared under the waves, only to resurface with a surf board made of ice. Yeah, she knew it wasn't necessary, but she had shown off for him.

As Suki rocked the new baby, Aang and Sokka built sand sculptures, and she and Zuko had splashed in the waves. La, she didn't even know Zuko could be playful. But he was. Very much so. And what about Toph, you ask? She chilled out. Alternating between napping and sand bending. All in all, it had been a wonderful outing.

She flipped through more pages, wondering how he could make things so real on the paper. How could she have deserved him? He was talented. Impatient at times. Soft spoken unless provoked. A powerful bender. Passionate. Stubborn. Knowledgeable. Serious. Arrogant. Handsome. Caring. Sexy. He was also very possessive. And intelligent. An added bonus: apparently, he was a prince. That had been somewhat—100%--of a shocker. Somewhat meaning: after the initial shock wore off, it was the _should-have-known-buy- didn't _kind of reaction.

He was every girl's dream of Prince Charming.

Or at least Katara's.

She turned pages, each drawing bringing out a different reaction.

The one that stood out the most was her with two children, a boy and a girl, playing at her feet, her features glowing in the way only a content pregnant mother could rival—the little boy looking up at the unseen camera. Gold eyes. Zuko's eyes.

She looked to see Zuko staring at her, features blank. He was judging her reaction. Katara looked once again to the last picture. Her blue eyes widened. He wanted children. With her. Her heart picked up tempo, and she swallowed visibly as emtion contriced in her breast. She saw the flicker of disappointment cross over him, but just as quickly as it came it was gone.

She gave him a watery smile, softly laughing as he turned away. He didn't understand. She thought it was funny, however. He thought _she_ didn't want children. Honestly, she hadn't known _he_ had wanted them. She got goose bumps and her mind went blank for a moment before it rebooted.

It was pitiful, she knew it, but she couldn't help it. Another tear rolled down her cheek. Children. With Zuko. She wanted them so badly. Almost as badly as she wanted her fire bender back. Just as badly as she wanted this not to be a dream.

Then, he smiled. Taking her face in his hands, he took his time studying her, as if committing her features to memory. He asked her something, but all she could do was cry. Not the pretty kind of weeping, like how everyone thinks women cry—the pretty tears and the easy clean up—but the loud, sputters as she fought to breathe, her eyes swollen red and her nose runny. It was painfully clear that this wasn't real. She'd never told him how much she loved him and then he'd died.

He took her fingers and kissed them, lightly nipping them and drew one into his mouth. She knew what it meant. In real life, he would have never have asked this kind of invitation, but then again, dreams were never understandable. They did things that defied everyday life, made fantasy reality if only for a while.

The lights went out, and this time, it wasn't his doing. Her emotions were so turmoiled that the temperature had frozen the bulbs and cracked them as her hands clenched shattering the glass and the wires. The glass had exploded in a shower, landing where it rained down. The fried light bulbs now useless, the room was masked in utter darkness.

Katara didn't care.

In the only way she knew how, she wordlessly told him what she wanted. So when she reached for him, she breathed his scent in before splaying her hands over his muscles, wandering over the contours of his body. He tried to pull them away, but she wouldn't let him.

"I missed you, Zuko," she breathed, "more than you will ever know. La, I don't think you'll ever know how much I missed you."

Silence.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because it's true."

"Oh, it is?"

Another silence.

She couldn't help it. The uncomfortable heat churned inside of her and she whispered her need. He moaned, his fists clenched as she continued. "Do you know what you're asking for? Is this what you want?" In the dark, his eyes were closed, and his jaw was clenched as he controlled himself, beads of sweat magically appearing in the restrain.

But it snapped. In an instant, she found his body covering hers, Zuko pressed against her suggestively and the inner flames leapt higher. His hands ventured, asking for permission.

She moaned as he kissed her breathless. With shaky hands, she tugged at his clothes. He chuckled and helped the rest of the way.

--

The man she loved once again held her in his arms, this time though, in the way it was meant to be. He had claimed her as his in the way only a man could. Many times. Many, _many_ times. She was sore in places she didn't know existed. But delectably so. Now it was impossible for coherent thought. She was tired. Barely able to stay awake, she yawned as closed her eyes. She couldn't see anyway—the room was an impenetrable black. She might have lost her innocence, but she'd gained something wonderful in the end.

Him.

Fire bending Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation.

The man that had proposed to _her. _A water bender commoner of the former Southern Water Tribe_._ But she was his choice. She wasn't of noble blood, and she defiantly wasn't what the higher class of his people would approve of.

Of course, she was mad at him for that small little detail. He hadn't told her. It had been his uncle to tell her those little unimportant things. Sure, it wasn't like every girl dated a prince without knowing it. Yeah, that was it. She hadn't even suspected anything. Aunt Wu's words should have told her to think harder.

But had she listened?

No, not really.

But he was hers.

"_The man you're going to marry, I can see he'll be a very powerful bender. Be careful nonetheless, keep in mind that he isn't what he seems."_

Should have seen that one. He had led her to believe he was a normal guy. But he wasn't. Never had been, and never would be. She wouldn't pressure him. Her dream was ending perfectly. And she wasn't about to ruin it now.

As she laid her head against his bare chest, she pulled the covers over them, loving the feel of him and his covers against her skin.

She heard him inhale deeply, turning towards her. They readjusted to where they were comfortable, lulled in a languid peace. In his sleepy exhale, he murmured her name again, this time though as she was in the cusp of sleep, she heard the barely audible words.

"I love you...more than you will ever know, Katara."

This had to be the most vivid dream she'd ever had.

_November 2nd, 2008. 8:44, U.S Cenrtal Time._

I'm not even sure what day of the week it is at this point. It's a day on the weekend. Sunday? I think.... Anyway, This chapter is important even if you don't like smut. Too bad. It's been cleaned up heavily for you people, alright? I had to wipe out more than half of it - so don't complain of it being short.

I tried.

I failed.

I posted two chapters in one day.

And despite of that, I'm pleased with how it turned out.

I did this while listening to Bring Me Back To Life by Evanescence. Now that this one is posted, i shouldn't have a whole lot of trouble for a few more chapters. Despite being disorganized and wondering what happened to half of my flashdrive, I think this will stay somewhat put together. Right. If you guys only knew how bad my _room_ looks. Compaired to my flashdrive, it looks spotless.

Now, I'm going to make me a cup of coffee and head to bed.

**~heflo**

**P.S. Read and review you happy people.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to ATLA or its characters.** **I'm just having a kick out of twisting up a new plot because things didn't end like I'd hoped for in season three.**

Alright. So now you get a treat people. The first part is from Zuko's point of view.

I need a question answered too. There's this person I'm really just wanting... well. Putting it nicely, I just want them to go away. As in, _far,far away._ Every time I see this person, this person won't stop following me. I'm sick of this person. It just creeps me out - the knid of person that is just _too... _umm... Well... Let's just say this person has a creepy brain washed kind of grin. It - I don't refer to it as a gender anymore - just doesn't know how to drop a subject. It's trying to ask things that are too personal. Things I wouldn't even ask Izzi.

And it's always the same question too. This person can't seem to get it when I try to change the subject or put some - okay, so maybe a lot - distance in between me and them. 'It' has no respect for personal space either. If I can see the pores of your face, back up. Maybe a few hundred (thousand) feet or so.

Can someone help me out and tell me what to do without getting sued? I'm pretty close to just kicking them in the shin and leaving it at that. Oh. Been there, done that. I've already tried that. I wasn't succesfuly. They just cringed, while smiling, and kept stalking me. And it only got worse than before I yelled.

Sure, you're smiling right now at this, but I'm not. I'm being dead serious. I don't think I've ever wanted to strangle someone so much. Not even any of my many, many annoying cousins.

Now I can't even go to the bathroom without being followed. 'It' stands right outside the stall and just keeps yaking. I've even asked _nicely_ if I could be left alone. The creature nods, and scurrys away. Just as soon as I've mutter a prayer of eternal thanks, I turn the corner, and there teh thing is. And I'm right back where I was ten hours ago when I arrived at school. I can't study or do _anything_ because this _thing_ keeps asking me who my boyfriend is. And what he looks like. And how many kids he and I want to have. And If i think he's 'The One'. And why he doesn't like Snickers. Any why _I_ don't like Starbursts. And why I recycle. And why I made a B on my mid term. And why I carry around earplugs...

Even my baby cousins know better.

For one, I don't have a boyfriend - haven't had one in three years. I don't like Starbursts because I prefer dark chocolate. I carry around earplugs because of this annoyance that is clingy and _disrepesctful_ of my space. The earplugs don't even block out the noise anymore - I've worn them so long that I can actually hear everything perfectly clear as you without earplugs.

Isn't there something wrong with this picture?

Seriously. Help.

I should be reading _The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe_ right now _and_ writing reports on it. I shoud be returning all my friend's calls. I should be yelling at the neighbor's kid because he won't stop rapping on my window. I should be.... Well, you get the point. Sorry for ranting. Again. I couldn't put my finger on it, but switching from that to this really brought me back to some old memories. Good ones, of course.

* * *

_The next morning...._

The feel of her body pressed against his bare flesh made the firebender a bit smug. Alright, very smug and wholly content. He was exhausted. But a certain member of his anatomy was staring to perk up, despite of last night. He'd never lost count with anyone else before. He'd lost count after he'd passed out.

With a possessive gentleness, Zuko let his fingers trail over her exposed skin. It was so soft. As he ventured, he was rewarded with a mewing sound. He sighed in content, closing his eyes and once again pressing closer. His hold on her was secure. He couldn't touch her enough - couldn't fill his senses enough with her. She alone could make him truely happy like the way he was now.

Katara was his one and only now.

But above everything, he was perfectly content. Happier now than many and most points in his life. It was because of her he was even satisfied at this point. She was his. His waterbender. The only woman that had ever made him feel so... alive. Zuko had never been so intimate in his life. With anyone. Sure, he'd had sex before, but because of the wrong reasons. Then, he'd been deceived and manipulated; he'd been younger and stupid. He'd tried everything that was humanly possible, but nothing he'd ever done compared what he'd done with her. He would never be satisfied with any other woman.

Before, he'd had sex for all the wrong reasons.

Now, it was because he loved the person sleeping in his bed—needed to have her just as badly as breathing. It wasn't just sex he'd shared with her, he'd poured everything he had into their intercourse.

Back then, he'd been a stupid, stupid teenager, had thought he had seen and done it all.

How wrong he'd been.

He could have never imagined the trials and disappointments, the errors or the mistakes. By chance, he had been born the heir of the fire nation. The Crown Prince—next in line for the throne. And until his banishment, he'd been spoiled and ignorant of other people. Selfish and intolerant. Afterwards, he went into denial. Over his family, his position, and his being. He'd spent more of his life in the Earth Kingdom than he had in the nation of which he'd hailed from. In his later youth, he received the rudest awakening of his young life. He'd watched his cousin Lu Ten be murdered—little Zuko been playing hide and go seek with his older, most awesomest cousin in the world when it had happened. He'd peeked through from under the sink, silently terrified as his cousin had spotted him, the shadow of a dark clothed man standing inches away from his hiding spot.

Lu Ten had distracted the assassin, with his last act, protecting his twelve year old cousin.

Zuko wasn't going to live forever, and neither was his aging uncle—the one he wasn't supposed to know had followed him over from the Fire Nation after his banishment.

So, he'd knocked on his uncle's door after he'd come to an agreement with his inner turmoil. Surprised, Uncle Iroh had welcomed him in with open arms. Not quite that way. One hand was occupied by a _big_ tea cup—or should it be called a tea mug?—and the General of the West at the time had been a bit wary of his impassive nephew. (I mean, think about it. Misguided teen that absolutely hates tea and useless collectibles? Showing up at his uncle's house, which had nothing _but_ tea and other various objects? Odd and uncomfortable, you guys.)

From there for the next few years, he had lived at his tea loving uncle's house. Had seen his uncle open and close his shop several times, had attended collage under an alias, and had finished his degree in average time.

By the time he had turned twenty one, he had already escaped death (a.k.a. Azula and lackeys ) four times, left his uncle's nest, become a self made millionaire, and had sunken into the lowest point of his life. Lonely, bottomless depression.

Then he'd met Jet. The Earth Kingdom poster boy and he had become friends after finding middle ground. Both had one thing in common. Hiding from the outside world. Though Jet liked his hiding more openly, it was a real challenge for the fire bender. He had more to lose if he was ever discovered—his so carefully made life from what he could from the comforts of his home.

It was actually Jet who had suggested Zuko do something more... exciting... with his stock bonds and funds. It had been on a whim—drawn from a hat—but when he'd finally gotten everything in order and everything followed through with, he had himself a culinary master's dream. The building had been entirely his design, and had taken well over a year to have constructed. Add another year and a half because of the landscaping... When he'd turned twenty five, his restaurant was a success, it was more than profitable, the customers were becoming more and more, and his employees did their jobs happily.

What more could he have asked for?

Happiness, he'd thought acrimoniously at that question.

The next major event was when he received a call from one of his employees. It appeared a slight bump in the road had appeared. Half of his staff had quit. Coincidentally, Jet had heard his side of the conversation, (he'd been visiting Zuko, and had dragged him along to sail on one of his boats when the girl had called his cell) and had offered to flip a coin for his friend.

Heads, he would just hire more people; tails, the firebender and he would work there themselves without letting anyone know—if only to pass the time.

And tails it had been.

At first, Zuko was doing it to humor his friend, but just talking about it was completely different than _doing_ it. He'd researched each of his remaining staff, and had a good idea of the people he'd be spending some time with. Things had been arranged, and he'd reluctantly left for his first night of misery.

His first encounter with Katara had been surprising. From her reports, he'd expected to dislike her. On paper, she sounded shallow and self absorbed—stuck up and humorless. He hadn't expected to find himself liking her. Or thirsting for more.

_"Zuko, how many times do I have to tell you there are only so many things plastic surgeons can fix these days? Quit frowning." a voice muttered. The fire bender rolled his eyes, tossing the uniform in Jet's general direction. He caught it easily, holding it up to inspect. The black material was wrinkled a bit, but he disdainfully put it on._

"_I don't plan on having surgeons near me, Jet. Unlike you, I'm perfectly alright with the way I look. If you keep getting fixed up, people are going to see how much you've done."_

"_Your loss then. One day you'll see I was right all along."_

_The dark haired man didn't bother checking the mirror; he just opened the door and walked out. It was early. Too early for many people other than a few scant employees that worked over time. As he scoped the building out, Jet tapped him on the back, saying it was time to find whomever the caller had told the two of them had taken charge. A young woman that no one knew could cook until a few days ago. He couldn't quiet recall if the woman's name had been mentioned or not—he just had a plaintive feeling about meeting her, whoever she was._

_Almost ten minutes after the crowd started to arrive, the two of them were trying to blend in. They still hadn't seen the one the others were talking about. It seemed she cooked better than the earlier chef Shang—the man Zuko didn't remember hiring. And that she had a gentle attitude._

_All of a sudden, the swinging doors opened, and a woman collided with him. The breathe was knocked from him, and he coughed as his eyes focused on the woman. She didn't look up at him. He could see her ears bright pink, but it was her thick hair catching his attention that captivated him. He'd never see such beautiful hair. Especially so long too. The sudden urge to reach out and finger it touched his thoughts, but he caught himself._

_Humiliation swelled up, and he internally beat the urge into nothing. Once again, he was cool and expressionless. What was up with him tonight? He'd never been concerned with how a woman's _hair_ looked, for Agni's sake. All that mattered was how she could benifit him._

_Zuko leaned into the wall and watched her as she stood, backed up, stumbling ungracefully as she righted herself against another woman. A clumsy woman, he concluded. They nervously nodded to one another, wordless apologizing. He could catch a glimpse of her profile as she turned away. From his point of view, she had lovely skin—flawless and without make up. A rare sighting in his royal upbringing._

_Her face tinted a shade of pink as she tied her apron on, swinging around to talk to another woman. Her voice was too low for him to make out though. She called out to the passing by waiter, telling him to pass a message along to the bartender. Or that's at least what he'd interpreted._

_It became apparent in the next three minutes that she knew what she was doing better than the other people in the kitchen._

_This must be the one that had taken charge, Zuko mused._

_After a while, Jet moved forward. The Earth Kingdom man handed her the note Zuko had typed, moving back so a man could get to the freezers._

_He watched her eyebrows shoot up, and her narrowed glare made it apparent of her annoyance. A tattooed man met her gaze, shaking his head, and walked out while saying something to low to hear. The man had come and gone everyone in a while. Always interacting with the woman with the long hair._

_The young bald man had flashed the woman so man grins, that it made the firebender roll his eyes. He recognized the infatuation in the boy's eyes. Zuko also recognized the blue arrows. An airbender. Or an airbender wannabe._

_He looked around the kitchen, trying to understand how the system worked. It seemed everything was systematized, and categorized. They worked together, like an assembly line. It looked so easy. He'd never really cooked much in his life—just how hard could this be?_

_He noticed the one take out an iPod, turning the music up until even he could hear rock music. Or metal. He was never quite sure what genre Three Days Grace fell under._

_Zuko frowned, flicking the hair from his eyes. Listening to music on the job? That was a distraction just waiting to go wrong. He could fire her if she didn't work efficiently. Or if he just choose to for whatever she gave him one more reason, she was done. She could be replaced, just like any worker here. Pretty hair or not, she was replacable._

_But as the minutes ticked by he noticed she was picking up the pace with accuracy and skill, her foot tapping to the unheard rhythm. _

_She _was_ good. His eyes followed her, seeing that the woman moved easy in this kitchen. She knew what she was doing, and she was confident as she combined things he'd be nervous to. But for as long as he watched her, he could only see her profile. In his mind, he imagined her the way he would draw her._

_In his mind's eyes, she was just an ordinary woman with unusually long imagined her with a normal life, with several siblings—a nonbender._

_Back turned to him, She finished a dish, setting it on the tray in the open wide aired window sill. Turning sideways, she studied Jet as she withdrew the earphones, winding them up neatly and placing them in her pants pocket. He had yet to see her face clearly, but when he did, he sucked in a sharp intake of breath. _

_She was beautiful. Now that he could see her clearly, his ealer image was blown away. She was proportioned in just the right way. Her lips were full and pouty, her skin clear and bright. _

_He wanted her to look at him. Zuko wanted to know what her eyes looked like._

_This woman was a masterpiece worth capturing. He could already see himself sketching her, in every way and pose._

_This was a woman he could fuck himself senseless with._

_With disgust in himself, he realized where his mind was wandering. He shoved those thoughs away, pointing out employees were off limit. Specifically this intriguing creature that could induce a hard on any man by simply walking by._

_Even so, he didn't want any more relationships. They took up to much effort and wasted time._

_He'd noted earlier that she had unusually long hair. How could he not? It was thick and wavy, falling in a pony tail down to her hips. Heated golden eyes caught her behind, and his tounge flicked over his lips. And such curves too. He'd assumed just because she had a nice body that her face wouldn't match up._

_Zuko had been wrong._

_She turned to Jet on the other wall, her long hair whipping behind her, confined by a thick navy hair tie. He heard her giggle, and instantly, he was disgusted. She was hitting on Jet. That was never a good wouldn't dare involve imself with a woman who was attracted to the play boy. It only meant one thing—they weren't experience enough to reliaze what he was._

_The firebender felt his hopes fall, and he quietly sighed. It wasn;t like she was a potential playmate. She was off limits. Poor woman must be a virgin, he assumed as the blush once again tinted her cheeks._

_Only a virgin would react to Jet like that. A more experienced woman wouldn't have that shy look as she did._

_Come to think of it…_

_That couldn't be right. _

_She was practically the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. She would have succumbed to Jet long ago if she was a virgin. He'd never met a woman who could resist the man. And that's why Zuko never involved himself with any of his friends play toys. They always pinned for him once he got over them. Every woman in existence fell for Jet's pretty face. Only a very experienced woman could force herself to ignore the walking sex fiend._

_The brunette sauntered over to her as she set down her glinting cutting knife. She was like the rest of them. Typical. Every female in the room was attuned to Jet's presence--he'd thought she was different._

_"Beauty, you can just call me Jet."_

_He actually felt his heart painfully beat in disappointment as she giggled. She was just like the rest of them. Why'd he think otherwise?_

_Why did that disappoint him like it did?_

_Then things took a surprising turn._

_"Listen to me,_ Jet_—I've had a terrible day. And if you make it any worse, you're going to wish Aang was in here to save your sorry hide."_

_Eyes widening in surprise, Zuko stepped forward as her tone hardened into an icy mummer. Her hand was clenched tightly into his friend's shirt, and the top of her head only came to his chin. Zuko stood at eye level to the earth kingdom man—she was threatening someone a whole head taller than herself. _

_Zuko couldn't see her expression, but from Jet's--he could tell it wasn't friendly. _

_"So until my boss gives me any more to go by—and since you said you're here on the boss's orders—you're going to work."_

_Alright. He could admit to being qrong a second time tonight._

Gentle?_ Someone had described this lady's attitude as gentle? _

_More like bitchy if you wanted to be totally accurate._

_Zuko stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder despite of the curious stares. Their gazes met again, and the fire bender had a hard time not licking his lips. Her eyes were gorgeous. _

_Zuko had never used that term for anything in his life._

_He forced himself to stay expressionless, shaking his head, he breathed in before speaking. She smelled like vanilla. And not the store bought kind—like the natural vanilla extract. _

_And it was alarmingly arousing._

_"We're here to be of help, not hindrance." He forced his voice to be expressionless, but if she looked down... Agni, this wasn't good. He needed distance._ Now. He was internally panicking for one simple reason.

_"Jet, grab an apron and help her," he said, "And Ms…?"_

_"My name is Katara," she replied softly. Funny things happened to his inner fire. It churned, and boiled in a slow simmer as he studied her unusual eyes. Her name also fit her. It was just… right._

_Katara, he mentally tested her name. It suited her. She was in every way breath taking. Her blue eyes were something he'd never seen before. Oh, he'd seen blue eyes before—just not this true shade._

_Katara was firing up his blood. And she didn't even realize what she was doing. Zuko cleared his throat and tried again, forcing himself to be completely numb. In a matter of a moment, he was back in control. He felt nothing. No emotion, no attraction, nor lust._

_Voice husky without intention, Zuko answered. "Will you continue on as before? Jet and I will do what we're told; just tell us where to start."_

_In his mind—it was involuntary—images were shrouding his train of thought, and his throat was slowly becoming parched. Why was this happening _now?_ And when she smiled at him, his heart beat quickened, and all he could do was nod at her thanks. He was fighting to remain numb. He closed his eyes and thought of everything that would make his insides frozen and unyielding._

_It worked. _

_For the moment at least._

_"Are either of you benders?"_

_Without hesitation, he lit a flame in his hand, a sharp nod his answer. _

"_Can either of you cook?"_

_Zuko shook his head slightly, this time with Jet nodding at her inquiry._

_Facing Jet, she said with a small smile, "Grab the knife and start working on those vegetables." Zuko watched in amazement as Jet complied without complaint. He simply did was he was told. Jet was under her spell too._

_Zuko was numbly astounded. She had not only himself, but Jet too. This stanger had both of their undivided attention._

_It seemed this feisty beauty was in charge now._

_He watched her walk over to the sink and turn the tap on. When she turned to face him, her eyes met his. And every though in his head disappeared. He struggled to remain void of any emotion. But what had he been thinking about?_

_"You are going to wash dishes. When you're done with that, come help us in the kitchen, got it?"_

_That had been the first time he'd been utterly speechless in five years._

_For the rest of the night, he did nothing right. He'd washed the dishes half heartedly, thus not thoroughly. And had to do them again under the watchful eye of a portly bald earth kingdom man. He bumped into a small woman, who'd been startled and had dropped her towering cake to the floor. It had splattered all over the surrounding people. He had evaporated the water in the pot and the pot had caught on fire. Then he'd almost taken Katara's hand off with a very accidental exhale, the flames rising drastically. It had not been his fault at all--she was standing next to him, and she'd accidentally gotten close enough for him to smell her perfume. Entirely accidental that his thoughts had lead astray, and he'd involuntarily breathed out to hard--therefore it was __her__ fault she'd caused him to fire bend._

_And Jet had taken note of that. He realized the fire bending immediately and from what cause. And he'd then brazenly used that to his advantage. In front of the firebender, he'd asked the object of both of their attention's out._

_Thank Agni she'd declined._

And over the following months, Zuko had found himself slowly falling in love with the spit fire. He was the last person he would have ever guessed to find himself victim to the phrase. But it had happened. Gradually, he had lost the battle and given in.

In the beginning, he'd known her all of six weeks before discovering she was a bender. A _water_bender. How could he have missed that? Shouldn't there have been a clue of some sort? But there hadn't been.

He'd pinned her as a nonbender—an insult to any bender. But she hadn't been the least bit offened when they went ballistic. Then there was the hospital incident. He had discovered she could heal. He'd only heard of that in stories—old fairy tales.

And after that, he'd been drawn into her life bit by bit. And by the time he'd found her at the arena on his time, he couldn't resist. He'd made sure it was empty when they went together from then on, and by Agni's name, things had gone smoothly from there. From then on out, no one would make him happy. With everything they'd been through together... Every week, she became closer and closer to him. And every week, he found himself falling. Harder. Never in his life had he been so open with someone. And never in his life had he loved someone so much.

Zuko, Ex-Crown Prince of the Fire nation, was in love with Katara of the Southern Tribe. He had no idea how it had happened, but it had. If anything, they would seem to be all wrong for each other. But as he got to know her, he discovered how right she was. He'd never find another person like her. Never. He'd lost his home, his family and his title. He wouldn't lose her. If he lived in secret the rest of his life, he at least had her. He didn't have much to give her, but if she'd accepted him, that would all he could hope for.

He just couldn't afford to lose her.

-------------------------

Blue eyes sleepily opened, and Katara awoke to the feel of a warm body molded against hers, and sun light streaming in from behind partially closed curtains. In the moment where coherent thought still hadn't arrived, she basked in the afterglow, wonderfully sore in places that had been thouroghly seen to. That moment couldn't last though.

Her heart skipped a beat, and her breath caught in her throat when those thoughts finally became understandable. Looking straight ahead, she immediately became aware of the facts. Last night hadn't been a dream, the necklace on her neck wasn't her mother's. A very warm breath tickled her ear, and she was beginning to panic.

Amazingly soft bedding surrounded her, and she recognized it immediately. The part of the room that she could see was instantly familiar. Slowly, she turned over her and wide eyes meeting a pair of familiar gold. Thick, inky lashes framed those gentle eyes, and the pale skin surrounding was unblemished. A smile, not a smirk, was tugging at parted lips. Dark, long, unkempt hair was the same as always.

She blinked, and blinked several more times. It wasn't a hallucination. Her vision swam, and all she could do was tremble. Zuko was... alive? Either that or she had finally lost it. She reached out, and softly touched his cheek, her tears falling.

She fell apart.

He shushed her as she choked back a sob, startled and unsure as he cupped her cheek in his hand. All at once, she pushed him away and rolled over, curling into a ball. In her rush, she was oblivious that she was completely in her birthday suit. He sat up, her rejection coursing through his veins. What had he done wrong? Why was she crying? Why had she pushed him away?

His hand touched her shoulder, but she jerked away from his touch.

"Katara, what's wrong? Tell me," he begged. "Please. Talk to me!" His hands clenched, and he reached out to touch her, stopping just short of actually making contact.

She only cried harder. It wasn't like her to cry like a child. But she couldn't stop the sorrow and the tears. They just kept splashing the pillow and she tried to pull herself together. Then she threw herself into his arms. He held her, angry at himself. He didn't know what to do. It was killing him to watch her cry like that.

When she had no more tears, she clung to him, afraid to let go.

Neither of them said anything for a while, both waiting for the other to speak. When the silence became, you could only guess what would happen next.

"You're real." She said simply, nuzzling the hallow of his throat.

Though he was frowning, he was slowly reacting to her sincerity. "Of course I am."

"I thought it was all just a dream. But you're here. I'm not dreaming. You're not dead. All this time…"

"I tried, Katara. I really tried—"

And that is what triggered what is known today as an emotional explosion. Not a pretty thing to experience, let me tell you. Worst is when everything is jumbled and non coherent. Just like what the waterbender was experiencing. It was tight and poisionous, pouring into her like a firey liquid. Burning and freezing. Messy and sharp. Painful. Relieved. Confusion wrapped all this up, encasing her tortured self with drowning emotion.

_"Where in the world have you been?"_

"Why are you _yelling_ at me?"

_"Answer me!"_

And simultaneously, things rolled into motion. She found herself on her back, with her hands trapped over her head, and straddled by a _very _angry looking Zuko. His face was inches from hers, and his expression terrified her. His eyes were hard, golden slits that had narrowed. His breath touced her skin, and she blinked in fear. She whimpered as he lowered his head to her neck, and bit gently, soothing the sharp sting with his tongue. His breathing was harsh, and he found the place where he'd marked her once again.

Katara turned her head away, unyielding as he tried to kiss her. She closed her eyes, not willing to meet his hardened gold slits. It was also to stop the fresh round of tears.

It hurt her. Not him, but the memories and emotions that were attacking her mind behind closed eyes. She was confused. Furious. Sad. Relieved. And terrified. To her, she wasn't quite sure which one was the more consuming. Every thought inside her mind was betrayal. That Zuko had somehow done this to her. She layed their, rigid and unyeilding.

The hard tone of his voice rasped above her, just inches away. "Look at me."

She didn't. Why couldn't it have just been a dream? It could have all been just a fantasy. A furious Zuko terrified her. Even more than the thought of Aang going berserk and entering the Avatar State. She could calm the airbender down. Her mind was deathly deserted of any idea of how to get out ot this.

"Look at me." He repeated himself. "Katara, look at me." He hissed through clenched teeth. She flinched, as he tried again to mesh his mouth with hers. She wasnted to kiss him back as he covered his lips over hers, but she forced herself not to. Nothing had ever been so hard as this. She wanted to look into his eyes, wanted him to soothe her.

As she turned her head away, a single tear down the corner of her eye.

"Why won't you look at me?" he demanded, hurt and anger filling his voice as he softened his hold. "I'm trying, Katara. Please," tone raspy, a hand ventured to her breast. "don't do this to me."

She unwillingly moaned as he touched her in a way no one else had. Her eyes snapped open, and a pained expression flashed across his face, and just a quickly, it disappeared. For a minute they just watched each other. Her expression was watery and confused, while his was passive. Only his eyes showed his torment.

Zuko eased up, and let her sit.

She couldn't seem to look away from him as he rolled off gently, bending over to pick up something unseen. All anger had melted as she lingered on the fact that he was _alive_. As if by magic, when he straightened up, her clothes were in his hands. Her eyes widened once she realized her absence of them. Her entire face burned, and she hurriedly yanked the garments on when he offered them. When she turned to look at him, he was openly watching her with hungry eyes, not a shred of covering hiding his magnificent form.

"Z-zuko," she stuttered, not quiet from embarrassment—rest assured it was from being breathless. "Please put something on."

"Why? Does this bother you?" he turned around in a circle so painfully slow, that he could have sworn she purred. He was giving her a lovely view of, well, everything. Zuko never claimed to be shy. He never would either. She didn't know whether do be worried or to be awed.

Her eyes started out at his feet, but they didn't stay there. Her gaze wandered up. When she reached his face, her nostrils were flared, and a lovely pink tinted her cheeks. She wet her lips, and looked at the bed around her. Very bluntly, she spoke with a straight face. "Quite frankly, no. But unless you want to tell me anything, you'd better hide the temptation or..." she trailed of suggestively.

At that, he laughed, gold eyes pleasantly surprised by her reaction. He feigned a disappointed look as she leaned over to fetch his black clothing, tossing him only the lower half of them. He cocked an eyebrow, curious as to why she wasn't throwing the rest of his things at him. And as if reading his mind, she rolled her eyes.

"What? You thought I'd torture myself? I'm a lot of things, Zuko, but masochist isn't one of them."

"Masochist?"

"You heard me. You're beautiful, Zuko. Why would I want to cover you completely up?" As he opened his mouth to answer, she snuggled back into the covers. "And weren't you wanting to tell me something? I don't want to be arguing all day now. There are so many...activities... we could do."

It took him a minute, but he slowly pulled the garment on, silently shaking his head in wonder. He watched her watch him. He deliberately dressed slowly, just so he could see the hunger in her eyes.

Under his breath, he muttered. She was taking this too well. He was holding up like some insane teenage girl had written him his very own expanse of immense self control. This wasn't the way he'd planned things.

His plans never worked out right. Not a single one.

There should be yelling involved at this moment. Hell, he wanted to be a partaker. He just didn't have the heart to yell at her right now. The best way to make her understand was—l

"What'd you say?" She asked with genuine curiosity. He'd spoken to low for her to understand.

"I was just saying that it might be better if I showed you than just explaining anything."

* * *

Alright. So maybe I'm a lazy person, so what? You people going to sue me or something? Yeah, both of them are taking this too well. Nothing in real like happens like this. Absolutely nothing. But then again, this isn't real life. So, hah. You can't complain.

I'm grateful for everyone who reads and reviews. Seriously, I won't (purposely) try to torture you guys anymore. My life is in shambles, but I did promise I'd finish. So I will. I hope to have this done before it reaches the one year mark. This may be pushing it, but maybe _way_ before the one year point.

Yes, I know there are spelling problems. And yes, I know there are mistakes. That is the result of izzi leaving me to do this on my own, sadly. My Word program isn't responding, so I'm having to this by memory and luck. And i'm tired. I've tried to make this as accurate as possible given the circumstances. Sorry for any misunderstandings.

I have three projects, two book reports and about nine rooms to pack up. My house is being worked on, and you guessed it! My laptop is now my new best friend! (I killed the computer a while back while trying to get the webcam working.) I packed up my bookshelves a while back, and was amazed that I'd filled up fourteen boxes. Then I had to carry them all the way up to the attic one box at a time. I'm just glad I could hide the expresso machine before mom took it away to pack up.

My life would be hell without it.

Tell me what you think.

-heflo


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I am penniless and broke - i don't own anything.**

**Thank you once again for the advice, VioletCrystals. And thanks to every one of you readers.**

* * *

"So how did you…?" she trailed off, letting her gaze wander over the mask. It was… captivating. There really wasn't any other word for a good description. In her hands, lay the Blue Spirit's mask—his ticket to his alter ego. The laughing blue and white item was simply carved wood, lightweight and smooth in her hold.

It was Zuko's mask.

He was the Blue Spirit.

The man behind it was the man she loved, an infamous thief as well as a prince.

Strange combination.

"Do what? Get away with the things I did, or are you asking why?"

"Both, I guess"

He paused and held out his hand, silently asking her permission. She handed it over, watching as he crossed the room and opened a drawer, taking out a tiny object from under a pamphlet. He held it up for her to see and opened his mouth, placing it inside. He adjusted it, and made an odd noise before he cleared his throat. But it didn't sound right. Tying the mask to head, he looked away, outside to the night time view of the opened window. Invisibly, wind danced around the room, stirring the curtains and Zuko's hair. Katara felt a certain belonging as she gazed at the firebender. She'd never loved a man so much. She'd never met a man like Zuko.

She probably would never again in her life time either.

Her eyes widened at an animalistic snarl. It had come from Zuko, but she knew it couldn't be right. She started to take a step towards him, but uncertainty made her stop. There was at some point where the human mind surpasses it limit to confusion and stopped accommodating new disorder. She had long since overstepped that boundary. Of this entire uncertainty, she could only be sure of the fact that Zuko was alive. And that she wore a necklace he had carved himself. Huh. Never mind. _Two_ things. Maybe a simple task such as counting was included into the confusion...?

She was already unsure of everything; she didn't want to be unsure of herself. She hoped not. She _really _hoped not.

"Zuko…?"

At her confusion, he turned around, and he finally spoke.

"This mask became my freedom. Allegorically and literality." The voice was harsh, a brutal tone, and _not_ the voice of the firebender she knew. It was foreign and low, musically rough. "Jet gave it to me as a birthday present when… well, he thought it'd be a wall decoration or something of that sort. Wonder if he knew just how much his present would turn out to be worth."

Her already furrowed eyebrows couldn't furrow and more—her expression was pure frustration as she tried her hardest to understand. She really was trying, but everything was jumbled. The facts, the gaps, the lies, and the lack of understanding were painfully muddled. And she most certainly _didn't _understand.

But she didn't interrupt. The only way she _could_ understand was to sort through the messy confusion.

He was standing half a room away, but it seemed more than that. If it weren't for the clothing and for the fact that she'd watched him tie the mask on, she wouldn't have recognized the firebender. The altered voice and the mask alone were enough to change his apperance. But she knew his posture. It was that of a prince. And of a weary man.

"Katara… you're not going to like this… but I won't keep it from you. You deserve to know everything."

His feet were deathly quiet, and he stepped int time to her heart beat, reaching her in a few quick steps. Suddenly, his hand cupped her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, relaxing from that since the voice was literally scaring her. It could pass as her worst nighmare - it was that frightening. She might now be a child, but she knew for sure of several grown men that Zuko's modified voice would scare the crap out of. Her heart pumped the blood harder as he spoke, and she had to keep telling herself it was Zuko—she couldn't see his face at all.

She knew his touch, and she knew the it was him.

So she listened.

"I guess I'll start from the beginning."

The blue eyed water bender soon found sitting on the bed, legs spread as Zuko leaned into her. She held her arms around him, clasping them around loosly. For awhile, she'd thought he'd fallen asleep, but he undid the knot of his mask and placed it aside. He coughed, a shudder going through his body as he took out the thing he'd placed in earlier.

"That… hurt. For what it does though, it's worth the price." The familiar raspy voice she knew returned. Just…

"What _is_ that thing exactly?"

"A one of a kind voice changer. It hurts like hell putting in and taking out—but it _is_ a state of the art piece of technology." He closed his eyes, a peaceful expression settling over his features. He let his head rest againt her in a way where they'd both be comfortable. he was nestled into her body and she sat up, propped up by pillows. Katara laid her cheek againt his hair, closing her eyes as his fingers swirled in an aimless pattern on her thigh.

"I had it specially made for the purpose. It goes in the back of the throat, and alters whatever sound comes from my mouth."

"Oh."

That made sense. The prince of the fire nation couldn't be recognized or connected to an infamous thief—therefore it was perfectly logical. The reason no one could identify the Blue Spirit is because they couldn't identify the voice. One thing down, La knew how many more to go.

----------------------------

He couldn't believe that he was telling her this. Everything. She affected him that much. He'd kept everything he was telling her to himself for years—and after starting, the flow wouldn't stop. Starting from the beginning, the feel of the water bender's body warmth behind him kept his mouth moving.

He would revisit his painful past.

For her.

He spent a while just telling her the larger picture, not knowing what exactly to tell her first.

"…I was tricked. Azula said father wanted to talk to me, but it was a lie—like everything else she says. He wanted me dead. The only reason I made it through the first two months was because she kept me a secret from him…."

"…at one time, I was in a forced betrothal—age fifteen—and the girl that was in the other part of the deal took my leaving hard. Her family is right under the royal family in status, and to our fathers, is must have only been natural they secure ties to each other. And at one time, she and I had a thing. It wasn't until I found out what had been bargained into the deal did I break it off. Mai is a nice girl, but she's also Azula's friend. I've never seen someone thrown knives like her. She was trained like an assassin…Well, Mai actually became one. I asked her about it, and her answer was that it passed the time. That was years ago. But when she found about my whereabouts last year from Azula, she came herself to see me…" He tensed, grimicing. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Azula had Mai try to seduce me, but she didn't succeed. I wouldn't. I didn't…."

"Ty lee—another friend of Azula's—locked up my bending. She is a master when it comes to pressure points, and would come twice a day to fix me up. It's not… normal… to have your bending taken away. They had me drugged, and there was nothing I could do. I was trapped in my own body for six weeks at some point… It was actually by an accident I got out of that damned fantasy dream place. I knocked out my gaurds and ran. It took me a month to get from the Fire Nation to the Earth Kingdom. I had climbed about trading ships and waited. No one noticed me. Or cared to."

For a few minutes, it was silent. They adjusted themselves—he turned over just slightly, she stroked the back of his hand in a comforting gesture. But a heat simmered at their contact. She inwardly squirmed in discomfort as the sworls of lust began. But Katara suffered as he spoke, letting his touch her thigh. It would drive her insane, but by La, she wouldn't stop him.

"My first hot meal in the earth kingdom was in an IHOP. I'd…" he said in shame, "_barrowed..._ sunglasses and a baseball cap. It actually worked..." his voice became surer, and Katara bit her lips to keep from gasping. She couldn't deny it, she was turned on. Just being this close to Zuko was making it hard for her to think. And It was hard for her to breathe, but she did it somehow without catching his attention.

"I sat in the back, and watched my surroundings. The napkins on the table were all useable, so I took a few to doodle on. The one stood out, and a new idea found its way inside my mind, consuming every thought. I thought of you Katara." She heard the smile in his voice, and fought the urge to move. Not now, she warned herself. Later.

But later was seeming just too far off. Now that she knew what she'd been missing, it seemed her body wanted more. As did she.

"I carved you a necklace. I thought about just buying you a ring, but I remembered how the water tribes did it. Fire Nation and the Water tribe have such different standards... It took me a while of looking in the libraries, but I got ahold of the custom engagemtn necklaces. I had to redo it so many times, but in the end, it was worth it. I had to think of everything to make it with, and finally I came up with the water tribe's method with a twist. If you only knew how hard it is to use fire on such a heat challenged material…"

Her heart melted as he said that so softly. She grinned, sighing in delight as he rubbed his face againt her. When he stopped, she tried to stop scowling, swallowing her disapointment.

"Once I finally got her though, I couldn't just appear—Azula had her men looking for me everywhere… She would finish the job when she found me, so I stayed in the shadows. I couldn't use my credit cards, my trust funds, my stocks or anything under my name… Everyone knew my face… I couldn't just pop out of nowhere and ask for a job. I turned to stealing for what I needed… It was the only way."

"Katara, I couldn't find you anywhere. I looked all over the earth kingdom once I couldn't find you here. I picked up my mask and waited. And waited. Then, one day, I saw you. Only two hours away from where I started. You had a baby in your arms. You looked so at peace… I've never felt more rage and pain until I saw you smiling at another man's child. I sorta got out of hand…" He shook his head. "Fire bending is a wild element, and has to be released… The arena… It was my fault. Please forgive me; it took me a few hours after that to remember Kayla. At the time, I thought…" He groaned, and gave a small chuckle. It sounded forced to her. (Maybe because it was...?)

"I went to Jet, and asked him to help me. We've never been the best of friends, but he's slowly taking his time to come around. He said he could have information of your whereabouts and your schedule in a matter of minutes… I know it was an invasion of privacy, but I was desperate…"

"And finally, he came to me he had your whereabouts... One o'clock, at Haru's little party. That's all he told me. I didn't know what to expect, but that he come up with a solution. His signal was when he opened the window for me. I thought it was just another prank… but then you appeared. I couldn't believe it—Katara had gotten ever more desirable, wearing the dress I got her. That's what I thought as you stepped out of nowhere. Then you attacked. I panicked…"

"…you wouldn't have cooperated otherwise… It was so hard driving that night—I almost stopped the car twice. So many things were going through my head then…"

Then he told smaller details of those events, letting out everything he would allow himself to tell her.

Every time he paused, Katara realized her heart wept for him. This was officially the most she'd ever heard Zuko talk.

Ever.

Period.

He had spoken with a dead voice in the beginning, but his emotions were becoming clear to her. She knew him that well. The pictures that painted in her mind were not what she cared to imagine. Nor were they ones she would ever want Zuko to experience. He was… _Zuko._ Nothing bad should ever happen to him. At least not now that she was around. She didn't want anytihng but happiness to befall upon him.

As he spoke, a fierce need to protect him roared inside her. It was a different kind of need with him than it was her family. Zuko was hers. No one else could claim him. This was her man, and no one elses.

Then finally, he switched subjects.

He talked about his childhood. It wasn't like she had first imagined. He might have been a prince, but even princes had tribulations. His teenage years, his early adult years… And when he came to his current time in life, he surprised her by saying simply: "Until I met you, I didn't use to appreciate things. You made me actually take a good look at them again to reconsider my priorities."

--------------------------------------------------

It was apparent as to Zuko's status. Wanted. He couldn't be seen in public - couldn't afford to have someone recognize him. He had only a few means as to which to get money—stealing or Iroh. And since the first one was really the only logical choice… She couldn't stand knowing that the firebender was stealing to survive. In his pantry were boxes of ramen.

Katara had taken care of that.

She'd called up Jet and asked him to take her grocery shopping while Zuko was in the shower, leaving a note she would be right back. If she would have been thinking clearly, she would have yelled at the play boy for keeping Zuko's existence secret from her. It wasn't until later that she recalled she'd missed the chance to after he'd driven away. Her mind was so wrapped up in Zuko that everything else seemed irrelevent.

She'd do that next time.

The brunet had been glad to oblige, but at a price. Katara had to plant a kiss right on the smackaroo. Of course, Zuko didn't know about that. If he did… poor Jet. Though when the earth kingdom man saw her necklace, he withdrew his condition—saying that it wasn't honest harassment now that she was spoken for. Oh,_ now_ he stops? Just because of a necklace?

At least Zuko would have wholesome food now.

Speaking of wholesome food, he'd practically inhaled breakfast. And lunch. If she wasn't used to the sight of a male using the famous disappearing trick with his food, she'd have been amazed at the time in which he neatly consumed the meal.

Zuko couldn't really do much other than live quietly for the moment, unfortunately. And they had talked that over too.

_"Just how long do you plan to stay like this?" Katara asked, rubbing a towel over her slippery skin. They'd just finished some of the most passionate love making in history. Katara had actually wept at the intensity._

_"Until the Avatar helps me confront my dysfunctional family." He said casually, still mediating as she combed her wet hair. She had just jumped out of the shower, washing away sweat from their… mmm…_activities_._

_"And tell me what you plan to do until then." She bit her lip, careful to avoid mentioning a word relating to Aang. One accidental slip up was all it would take._

_Too bad she didn't know that slip up had already happened._

_And that he already knew the Avatar's identity._

_"I'll stay out of reach—no one will know I'm hiding in my own house. Everyone thinks I'm dead. So if anyone sees a person coming or going, they'll just assume a relative of mine is keeping maintenance done." _

------------------------------------

A day later, Katara remembered. She was getting dressed, while her firebender was in the bathroom, shaving. Stumbling, she tripped, paling.

_"Kayla!"_

"Hmm?"Zuko peered out of the bathroom, shaving cream covering his face, his hand paused in mid stroke as he ridded himself of stubble. "What about her?"

"I _forgot_ her!" She scrambled to find the rest of her clothes, and ran back to the bathroom to yank a brush through her hair. It took her a few minutes to pull the brush through wet tangles.

"What do you mean—?"

"I forgot her with the babysitter!"

_"Huh?"_

"I was babysitting before the party, and I left Kayla with a friend of mine. I can't believe I was so stupid , what was I _thinking?_ Sokka will kill me once he finds out I forgot about his daughter. Scratch that. Suki…" she shuddered. Her sister-in-law would go five types of Kyoshi on her. If she had to confront either of the two, she'd take her chances with her brother. Despite being family, Suki would actually finish her off. With Sokka, she had a better chance of getting out without any (major) injuries.

I've got to go—"

"Take my car." He said as he shaved, watching her through the mirror as she hurriedly rushed—forgetting her shoes.

"Thank you." She blew him a kiss and grabbed the keys, slamming the doors behind her.

He shook his head as he realized she'd left her cell phone on the kitchen table. As he finished his daily routine, he looked around at his home. Despite the outside being in need of repairs, the inside was fairly clean.

Well, as fairly clean as the word would stretch. Since he had been caught unprepared, the dust was perfectly normal in his absence. And paid up keeping would have surely attracted attention. Honestly, there had been no point in doing that. There were a few rooms moderately livable, but it wasn't fair to the waterbender. But since Katara was staying…

"Great." He went to find supplies, sneezing from the dust. "Now I have to clean."

------------------------------------------------------------

"I am so, _so_ sorry!" Katara apologized as Jin opened the door. The poor woman blinked at the disheveled water bender, the sight of her neighbor unexpected. She had a glass of juice in one hand, and she was still wearing her pajama bottems. It was well past noon when Katara had woken up. It had to be at least three o'clock at the least.

Jin waved it off, opening the door, talking as the waterbender walked in. "Your brother came a while ago. He was a bit upset that he couldn't get a hold of you, but don't worry—Kayla is back with her parents. Sokka wanted me to make sure you called him as soon as you came home. So… are you...?"

Katara realized Jin was giving her a chance to escape back before reality settled in. Tomorrow, her weekend was over and to work it was.

"No, Jin, I was never here. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

With a knowing glint in her eyes, Jin gave her an enthusiastic smile. The Earth Kingdom knew. Her neighbor was glowing, relaxed and happily sated. Despite being out of breath, Katara loved like a woman that had just been thourghly pleased. For the first time since Jin had met the younger woman, she coud say Katara looked happily right with the world.

Jin knew. Katara was in love.

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As Katara drove down the backstreets, a flashing sign blinked _detour_ _ahead, next fifteen miles_. Having no other choice, she grudgingly followed the traffic as it inched along. She turned on the radio, finding it was already set at her favorite station. She smiled as an older song came on. It was one of Zuko's favorites. Or it _had _been. She honestly didn't know if his tastes had changed or not. With a troubled look, she took note to rediscover what he liked and disliked.

_Easy,_ _Katara, _her mind joked. _You'll hurt yourself if you think too hard. _She frowned. Looking around, she found a group of teens, probably younger than they looked—but who was she to judge? _The girl over in the pink should consider finding professional help with that hair. _Never in her life had Katara seen such a horrific mess. _Have it layered, straightened...Someone needs to teach her how to take good care of it before it gets out of control._

It looked like her conscious was seconding as an advice columnist as recent services indebted stanchly.

_It might already be too late for her,_ her conscience mused smugly. _It looks like the hair has taken over the host. It _is_ too late._

She also had a good feeling the girl would hate her for some reason or another. There was no way to tell how she knew, but she just did.

As she passed the seven mile point, she rolled down the window, turning on the radio as the commercials droned on. Who wanted to hear yet another hot line featuring about Haru? Glancing around, she gave a smirk. Maybe she _should_ call the line up herself and talk about his mansion and his choice of wines…

_Now that's just cruel, _her conscience disappointedly told her. _Think of all the teenage girls who would stalk you down. Never underestimate the power of obsession. Really. Please don't. I enjoy my life. I like Zuko all sexy and appealing. Don't make me lose him. _

_Mmmmmm....Zuko. _Katara thought dreamily. Love bloomed inside as she thought of him.

_I swear,_ her inner voice rumbled. _If you even endanger him…You're gonna wish Suki had gotten to you first. She'll look like Mother Tressa compared to me._

"Lovely. I'm treathening myself again." Katara shook her head as a vile smell drifted in the car. She rubbed her nose, the car inching at a snail roach's pace.

Oh heck, one just passed her.

And was passing the other vehicles, too. _Watch that little fellow go!_ Rolling her eyes, she gave a unmentionable choice of swear words. Well, it honestly looked like the little creepy vermin was going to get to its home before she got to hers.

Home.

Well, that was and wasn't true. It was Zuko's home, not hers. _But it will be soon,_ her conscious merrily giggled. _The only down side being you're going to have to convince Aang to help Zuko out._

Just how hard could that be?

She looked at the clouds and the exhaust fumes, mentally willing the traffic to move. _Now._

But it didn't. It completely stopped.

That was just fine with her.

Not.

She let her head hit the head rest, closing her eyes. With the window rolled down, she heard the group of teenagers approaching fast. Hand touching her cheek, she listened to the bunch.

"…have great idea for wrapping tonight…"

"I can't believe he asked me out!"

"I don't know—"

"I can't believe it. Did you see..."

"Chicken!"

"Be nice—"

"You're just a big ass—"

"….can't. Aunt Wu would kill me if I cut work early…"

Blue eyes widened. Familiar name? Of course it was. She watched them pause in front of a street, one waving goodbye. It was the girl in pink. She called out to one of the guys, telling him to call her later.

_Bingo._ Voice matched to the key phrase, Katara watched as the girl disappeared into a building. A silver hair man sitting on the porch swing in the shade nodded hello. She stared at him as he got up to fix a sign. And to her good fortune, she found what she was looking for. Madam Wu. Or at least her house, she admitted. Maybe—

A horn blared behind her and the waterbender jumped with a squeak. Glancing in the rear view mirror, an older woman with two children in tow motioned for her to move. Pronto.

_Alright, lady, don't have to get your knickers in a twist._

Katara pulled off the nearest road, parallel parking in the only parking lot available: in front of a little corner café. The rich smell of sinful sweet things made her mouth water. Later, she told herself as she gazed longingly to the door of the little café. She had never liked parallel parking—she wasn't really that good at it— but somehow, she managed. The rich scent of robust coffee reached her, and her stomach rumbled as a pair of teenage girls walked out, smiling as they ate their sandwiches. Why did everything have to look so good when you're hungry?

Locking the doors, she checked her pockets, finding a crumpled ten dollar bill. As she walked in the down town area of the town, she passed by curious stares directed towards her feet.

It seemed she still hadn't realized she wasn't wearing shoes.

As she walked up to the old building, the silver haired man got to his feet and opened the door. He nodded as she stepped closer. In a mysterious voice, he said, "Aunt Wu is expecting you."

"Really?"

He rolled his eyes. "Miss, I get paid to say that—just go in already."

She gave him a dubious look and hurried in, the door closing behind her. The room was simple, an older style from many, many years ago. She noticed a place to put shoes and politely went to take off her shoes.

And realized she was bare foot.

Umm… Alright. This was embarrassing. How had she not noticed that? Coughing, she shook her head in disbelief.

Then the pink clad smiling girl popped out from behind a screen, pleasantly surprised to see the potential customer. She placed the box down and wiped her hands on a towel, her bushy pigtails frizzy even in the muted light. It appeared the humidity didn't help for her unfortunate rat's nest.

"Are you here to see Aunt Wu?"

Katara nodded, stopping herself by biting the inside of her cheek to keep from rudely asking what in the world the poor girl had done to hair.

"Then step this way please."

----------------------------------------------

She sat down on a floor pillow, she spotted Aunt Wu, exactly the same from when they'd first met. Yellow clothing, unbelievably bright purple eye shadow, and salt and pepper hair—old eyes wiser than she remembered as the older woman peered into her own blue orbs. Katara hoped the woman remembered her. If not, it didn't matter—she could still find out her fortune.

Red lips quirked as she met the blue eyed gaze. Aunt Wu cocked her head, clasping her hands together before running a finger over an elequent brow. A beautiful waterbender kneeled before her with her hands in her lap, her long hair wavy and gorgeous, falling down to her waist. She looked to be in her twenties or thirties, a shy smile wavering on her lips. She wore faded jeans and a red shirt - a man's taliored shirt. Aunt Wu smiled knowingly.

She recognized that glow anywhere. A woman well satisfied in everyway and form by her man.

But the woman was an unusual find here in the Earth Kingdom. An unusual sight even in the poles, come to think of it. Because the woman was a rare treasure with an even more uncommon destiny. Aunt Wu looked into the woman's recent past, closing her old eyes in concentration.

"Child, I see you've had an eventful week—would you like tea?"

"Yes, thank you."

The waterbender's voice was musical. Aunt Wu took note of that, and rubbed her thumbs together.

"Then you're going to have to wait. Meng isn't as fast as I hoped she'd be." The older woman suddenly held up ten fingers, counting down as her assistant walked down the hall and into the room at exactly the second her wrinkled hands closed into fists.

They took the offered glasses; Katara set her on the low table when she had her fill. A lemon wedge adorned the rim, ice cubs filled the bottom. Meng raised an eye brow and whisked the glass away, whistling as she made her way to the kitchen. The room was oddly soothing and mysterious at the same time. Comfortable but on edge. Katara felt like she was small, but powerful also. A flash of cold before a wave of heat passed over her, and she looked around for a vent. What was with that?

"Ah, I see you've noticed. Do you know you're the third person to sense my protection charms? They keep eavesdroppers from hearing anything. Bugs seem to dislike them too. I haven't seen one since. I wonder… Tell me, just what _do_ you sense?

Katara told her truthfully, Aunt Wu listened in contemplation.

"I was right. You, my dear, have a great awareness. Perhaps something you obtained from an airbender…? But anyway, what is it I can do for you today?" The older woman's eyes brightened, and her age spotted hands clasped together. "Palm reading? The oracle bones? Your horoscope? Enchantments? Love potion?"

"Actually, I just want to know…the fortune of someone else."

The fourtune teller, sighing, took Katara hand in her own. "I'll need an item the person had once owned, then. Have you such a bauble on your person?" As she said that, she read the lines of the water bender's palm, confirming her thoughts. "I remember you, dearie. How have you been—you don't have to answer that one, I already know. My, your life and love lines have changed. Not… drastically, but I can see change."

"You have lost a loved one… but have gained him...back? I'll ask you on that later. The breaks in your life line tell me that your states of affairs have changed. And here" she pointed at another line, "I see your fate."

Katara stopped her, jerking back her hand. She didn't want to know her fate. She wanted to know Zuko's.

"I'm sorry Aunt Wu, but I need that hand for a moment." Katara wordlessly unclasped the necklace, looking down at it and studying the design. It was a simple one— swirls that intertwined in a unsystematic pattern. It reminded her of water, but... also of fire and air. She remembered how he'd made it too. With fire. She hadn't known it was possible with this kind of stone. The band was a durable material, dark blue and velvety soft against her skin. The disk, a smooth circular pendant, beautifully glintied as she handed it over.

"I need to know this person's fate." Katara said with worry. "I have to know of his safety and of anything else." She looked up to the woman, pleading in her eyes. "Please tell me what you see. Don't hold anything back."

Aunt Wu touched it, her eyes closing for a long while. When she finally opened them, they were unfocused, her expression surprised. "_Oh my_. I see him. You landed a catch, child." Then, her expression blanked. "He…Why I've never seen something so hazy! It's almost like—wait, the picture is splitting. I see two paths.! I've never seen anything like this before!"

Katara leaned in closer, anticipating. She couldn't breathe.

"This man is the love of your life? You love him above any other man?"

"Yes." The waterbender answered without hesitation.

"Are you willing to sacrifice anything for him?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure you want to know what I'm—"

"_Yes!"_

"Calm down, dearie." The elderly lady held up Katara's necklace, rubbing the stone in her fingers. Slowly, she became still. For a moment, Katara doubted the fortune teller, and thought she was crazy. But she _had_ been right before. _She's a good fake if she isn't real,_ her conscience sighed. _She'd get paid dang good money to do a physic television show. _

"I see two paths, though neither are concrete. One leads to a possible happiness, the other to a certain misery. One contains you, the other doesn't. I can't tell you his decisions, because frankly, I can't read minds. I do know that he isn't willing to lose you. Your.... Your fate is intertwined with three powerful men. Two of which will be allies and the other can possibly bring you down. But" she said mysteriously, "_you_ will be the one to unite them. Only you can get them to cooperate."

She closed her eye again; forehead creasing and she placed a hand to it, a pained expression settling deeply as she panted. "If you want to have his safely, you will have to make the choice for him. He can't have a normal life, and he can't have you if he does. His mask… if he chooses you, he won't keep it. If he… gets caught… don't hesitate." She gasped, doubling over. "I see l-loss and sacrifice. Blood and tears. Mistakes and secrets. Lies and fire… I see children and I see the mother crying. I see… " She frowned. "…tea?"

Katara's eyes widened as her mouth dropped, makign a garbled noise. Tea? _Tea?!_ Did that mean Iroh?

Her necklace was tossed back at her. Katara caught it, but as she put it down to help the sweating, winded old woman. Aunt Wu shook her head, her eyes meting concerned blue orbs.

"I'm fine. That is how it's supposed to happen. Now, don't worry about payment—but I do have some sensible advice for you. Don't _ever _leave your niece behind again. I swear," she bitched, "the new generation is so _stupid _sometimes."

---------------------------------------------------------------

When she quietly closed the door behind her, she realized the curtains were drawn back; classical music came from up stairs. Putting one step forward, she looked around and—

Katara cried out as her footing slipped. She tried to reach for a counter, but her hand caught a plate instead. It came down with her. She landed with a painful, jarring thud—the plate with a crash_._ The unfortunate water bender and the victimized plate lay motionless on the tile. One in pieces, scattered around the kitchen, the other disoriented and bruised though in one piece. Her eyes watered and she whimpered. Oh, that was going to be sore in the morn—

Nope, that wasn't right.

She hurt _now—_forget about being sore later.

--------------------------------------

Upstairs two floors, Zuko tensed, head jerking up. He looked around, waiting for another noise. Zuko had heard the muted breaking of expensive dishware, his tasks forgotten. He opened his stance, silently going into stealth mode down the stairs. Staying against the wall, survival instinct had kicked in. There was an intruder in his home. _His_ home.

-----------------------------------------------

Katara stayed there, looking up at the ceiling. A cobweb hung in the corner, the spider nowhere to be seen. She brought her hand to her forehead as she sat up, gasping at the pounding in her head. With a strenuous movement, she picked herself up and went to the nearest bathroom to find a bottle of aspirin. Or Advil. Either would work.

She rummaged around in the dark, finding the bottle of Advil. She uncapped it, and tossed two back. Once she placed it back in the cabnit, she groaned as the internal areas of her head beat like a drum. And as she turned around, the handle rotated. The door opened, and she found Zuko, with toilet brush in hand.

Her valiant knight was holding the wand like a sword, completely serious, standing in a fighting stance.

Katara laughed, and clamped a hand over her mouth. She couldn't help it. She smiled, but she soon found herself doubled over, struggling to breathe. Her cheeks were wet, her blue orbs squeezed together.

Zuko looked at her worridly, yelling over her hysteria for her to tell him what was wrong. He'd dropped the toilet brush and picked her up bridal style. In his arms, she laughed harder, stomach hurting as it clentched in a painful knot. She threw her arms around his neck and burried her face in his shirt, laughing into it as he carried her away from the small, lavish downstairs bathroom.

------------------------------------------------

"You should have seen how you looked, Zuko, I've never seen anyone so serious. And with a toilet wand, nonetheless."

"What are you jabbering about now?" He looked up from paper. In his hand was a piece of charcoal, his right hand and figers partially covered in black residue. She was facing away from him, looking out the window impatiently. Katara was posing for him. And she was itching to get up and move. Alright, so she had no patience right now. Half and hour -- if her sense of timing was right -- was a long time to be staring off into one place.

But she stayed in the posistion he arranged her in, angrily flushing. He had wanted to sketch her, and had told her countless times to stay_ still_. She stuck her tounge out, only to be fussed at. He wouldn't even help her get her mind of of her order.

Though Zuko was actually done with the picture, he just wanted to add some more details.

The week had gone too quickly, and the weekend had arrived yet again. Currently, she sat posed—Zuko had arranged her to his liking—and the scenery was getting old. Really, _really_ old for her tastes, candidly. She had been looking at the garden for over an hour now, and the only change was the little bird flittering around. _He_ could move. _He_ could do whatever he wanted.

She envied him for the moment.

"Well, seeing as you wouldn't find it funny… Anyway, I do want to want to get dinner made early tonight," she reminded him. It had only been meant playfully, but she wasn't aware of his looming approach. He had set his things down, and was looking over her shoulder. His attention was then drawn to the waterbender. Her shoulder rose as she took in a long draw of breath. With a playful smile, he silently crouched behind her, letting his hands hover just centimeter away from her.

Katara's eyes followed a flash of movement, the gardens peaceful in the cloudless day.

Hey, look! Another bird!

Man, was this getting old.

And Zuko grabbed her from behind, tickling her mercilessly. Startled, she fell over. Stunned, she curled up in a ball, protesting as he kneeled, attackign her with his fingers.

She laughed and tried to get him back, but he moved out of reach. Mischievous glint in his eyes, he jumped to his feet and ran away as she scrambled after him. They raced through the hosue, playing tag. Zuko stayed one step ahead of her, ducking in and out of rooms as soom as she had reached out to grab his shirt. With a growing smile, his laughter rang against the walls. With a jump, he went through an open window on the firts floor, rolling on the grass and ending in a crouch. She called out, climbing much slower through the window. Zuko Gave her only a few seconds before he darted away.

This was the last person she would have suspected to be teasing, honestly. Zuko's playful side was unexpected, but she welcomed it with a smile. They were full grown adults, but they were acting like children.

But she didn't care.

The wind blew playfully, filling the air with a crisp sweet smell of flowers. The grass soflt crunched beneath her feet as they pounded againt the carpeted ground in an effort to catch up. She chased him, but never actually caught up. He'd let her get almost close enough to touch, but as she reached for him, he gave an extra burst of speed. There wasn't a need for words—the energy it took to breathe knocked that option out of the ball park entirely. They did this for a short while, playing like little children without their parent's supervision. They called each other silly names, ducked the others attempt to tag, and argued over the smallest of things.

Like that one squirrel near the rose bushes.

"_I think it's black."_

"_Really? Looks more like a brown to me."_

"_It's black, Katara."_

"_Brown."_

"_Are you color blind?"_

"_No. Do you need glasses?"_

And eventfully they collapsed in a heap, fervently kissing. He gently shackled her wrists above her head and peered with intense, heated gold eyes into her own excited blue. With boldness, she let her tounge swirl around his fingers. With him distracted, she rolled them over. He blinked up at her as her hair curtained around them. For a few seconds, they just stared at each other, breathing heavily.

Exhilaration rocketed as they franctically reached for each other, and until a shrill ring interrupted them, the passion was the only thing either of them could think of. She let the call go. She'd listen to her voice mail later.

Then, it rang again. And again. By the fourth time, she could have sworn it was getting even louder and shriller.

He groaned and she up, pulling out her phone. Zuko possessively pulled her inbetween his legs, huggin her tightly. He nibbled her ear, recieveing a swat on his hand. He smirked, playing with her hair. She ignored him as he twirled his fingers through her hair, feathering her skin with the lighest of touches. She answered with a breathless hello, giving him a helpless shrug. He frowned, silently mouthing to put it on speaker. She pressed the setting, and a voice so smug and lively, that she could imagine the person's smirk as the voice filled the clearing.

"Sugar Queen, you sound like you could catch your breath."

"Hey, Toph, I'm sorta in the middle of something right now—."

"Yeah, I know. I'd give you privacy, but since today isn't just a good day for me, how about tell Princey we need to have a talk?"

"What are you talking about, Toph?"

"Katara, don't play stupid with me, I know when you're lying." She heard a heavy sigh, and then a chuckle. "You and Zuko really make a cute couple. You to look so perfect together—remind me to never to stay in the same house as you two. The vibrations. Eyck."

Katara was silent and dread filled her. She stilled, her throat became dry. No. No...

Toph's voice interupted her thoughts. "Hey, and while you at it, look over to your right."

Zuko's shoulders tensed and he cursed an interesting phrase that drew her eyes over before she followed his gaze. She repeated him, her heart dropping to her belly.

Over the hill, stood Toph, clad in her usual green and black, smiling as she waved at the two with a wide grin. They were caught. Toph Bei Fong knew. And they couldn't do anything about it. Whether or not she told anyone else was up to the blind earthbender. Either they were either screwed, or Toph was on their side. And while the earth bender crossed the distance, Katara hung up the phone, grabbing Zuko's hand before he could shove her off. He growled, but didn't move.

"It's going to be alright, Zuko." She told him quietly. Praying with all she had, she uttered to any spirits listening to have favor on them. And to keep his secret to just the three of them. And Jet, if he counted.

Though he was being gentle, his hold on her was sure. She was anchored to him. Katara closed her eyes and absorbed his scent, leaning futher into her lover as he murrmered her name into the crook of her neck.

* * *

Wah hah! Whoa. Over eight thousand words in two days . More if you count the last chapter. Now. I'm going to post a little surprise now that this is done. God, I looked over the spelling and saw the terrible mistakes. I'm not going to change them rigth now. I'm too lazy. Maybe later, though...

Your tired and coffee depraved friend,

~heflo


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I _so_ don't own anything other than my pet rock and my laptop. **

**Thanks again to all you readers. Without you, I wouldn't be writing.**

* * *

At Toph's fast paced walk, Katara felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle in awaited apprehension. "Toph, what are you—"

Zuko pushed her away, and jumped to his feet. Helplessly, Katara landed on her side, and gave him a look of pure annoyance.

Earth shot up out of the ground, dislodging roots and tearing up grass. Violently rumbling beneath her, the sound deafening as something made contact. Katara flinched, closing her eyes. When nothing happened, she looked around, finding Zuko struggling, a snarl on his lips as he growled something unrepeatable. He spit fire in bursts of bright red and white, a plume shooting in Toph's general direction. It missed her by several inches.

The confinements drastically inched upward around Zuko, jagged around the edges. Toph shook her head at his efforts, the earth stopped moving as Toph willed it. Though it had stopped, stone encased him up to his chest, resembling a broken egg shell without a top. He couldn't move much though -- the inside of the 'egg' was solid.

At least it wasn't crushing him.

Yet.

"I won't try it; you'll only exhaust yourself." The blind beauty yawned, nonchalantly shrugging. She might look bored if not for the wide spread grin tugging at her discovery.

"_Toph! _What is _wrong_ with you?!" Katara screeched at her friend, animatedly jumping to her feet and moving towards the grinning earthbender. Toph stomped the ground, and Katara fell to the ground.

Her feet became encased just like the enraged fire bender—who's narrowed slits were trained on the earthbender, waiting for the precise moment for revenge. His dark hair fell over his eyes, hiding his expression from Katara. She didn't have to see it though. From where she was, Katara could feel the waves of anger and his rage pouring into the air.

In the massive tree's shadow, splinters of light escaped inbetween the leaves and fell upon on the trio in a halo of shadows and colors. It was a beautiful sight, really. It didn't matter that two of the three were encased with stone -- it would have made a beautiful picture.

A lush, green meadow stretched, untouched. The bright afternoon sun shone up in the cloudless sky, glaring harmoniously in a sea of mild blue.

Zuko, shirtless and bound, expression savage as he silently seethed. He looked everything of a trapped predator. His hair was messily askew, evidence of Katara's fingers running though it just moments ago. His eyes were angry golden slits, framed in thick dark lashes that would make any woman, or male, jealous. Visilayfully moved across his skin as the wind blew softly at the oak's mighty limbs. He was the exact image of a caged animal. A handsome, beautiful caged firebender.

Toph stood with her arms crossed, smilng like the cashire cat. Her hair was cut short, framing her pale delicate features. Chin length--it suited her. Her hair band didn't do a thing to pull her ink bangs out of her eyes though. Her clothes were strange for her wealth. She wore cheap ragged cut off black jeans, that hugged her like a secons skin. Her shirt was loose, a dark green base, but harsh light green and white skulls intersected. It was a second hand shirt. Her feet were bare, naturally.

Katara sat with her feet encased by multicolored stone, expression icy as she pulled herself into a comfortable posistion. To satisfy Zuko, she'd made herself up for his artwork. She'd fought her hair without any products, and achieved what she'd been aiming for. Her hair was half way pulled back, loosely contained by a hair tie. It fell over her shoulder, spilling in wavy chocolate locks, framing her face in a captivating way.

In the distance, severl birds had hushed, flying away from the sudden disturbance.

Katara frowned, looking down at her earthen restraints. They didn't really hurt, but it just didn't feel right. They felt wrong. Smooth around her skin, but nevertheless pressing and confining her into restraint. It was worse than when the Blue Spirit bound her hand and feet --she could at least wiggle them a bit then. Here, she couldn't even see them, much less ignore them.

Eyes darkening, she clenched her fingers into the grass, the life draining away and the moisture collecting in her hands. She tried to get out of her confinements, but nothing happened. It made tiny sharp dents, and small fractures, but nothing more than a few chips of gravel fell away.

Katara was fed up with it. Glaning up at the earthbender, she recalled everything she'd done for the whelp. "Oh, you little—"

"No foul language, Ice Princess. But..."she ceased dramatically. "If you and Zuko over there ever get married. Huh. Damn. Now that _is_ interesting." The earth bender laughed at her own joke. "_Princess_ Katara… Nah. You're stuck with Sweetness around me. Oh! Better yet—_Lady_ Katara…"

Trailing off abruptly, Toph frowned in confusion, lastly 'seeing' what the waterbender had been attempting to do.

"Hey, what did you do? The grass…?"

That caught Zuko's attention as well as Katara's. The evidence was clear around her, marring the once perfect, slightly over grown lawn. The once green carpet surrounding her in a five foot circle was dead. There wasn't lush or green anymore—it wasn't even shriveled up. It resembled drenched and water soaked blackened soot. Or dark, waterlogged ash if you prefer.

"Katara?" Zuko asked watchfully, meeting her eyes, questioning her with her name. '_What happened?' or 'What have you done?'_ was in the subtext.

She turned her head away, wrapping her arms around herself as she thought. Alright, the water had come from the grass, but how would that be—

She realized.

A new option had unfolded before her.

Opening her eyes, she stared at the garden. Plants needed water to live. Therefore, retaining water.

It was that simple.

How could she not have seen it before?

From a previous stupidity, she knew firsthand how clouds were entirely water, and could be bent. She'd have to thank Aang for that—even though it had ended with her slipping from his grasp and falling hundreds of feet freestyle (without a parachute) until he caught her again. That had been the first and last time she had ever gone gliding with the enthusiastic air bender. He'd been sixteen then, and he'd grudgingly accepted she wasn't going to do it again at age twenty four.

Water, in it's purest source was a given obtainment. There was water in the air as well as under ground. But if their was water in people, then plants should have been a more logical guess.

How could she not have seen that? she inwardly groaned. She recoiled in disgust at herself. She had a long way to go before she was really a master. A master would have known that from the start. A master would have easily seen all the possibilities without prolonged blindness.

Just the opposite of how Katara had done it.

With a glower, Katara darkly spoke up in an icy promise, more resentful at herself than the earthbender. "Toph, I swear the next time you do this—"

"You're threatening me already?"

"--I will not hesitate to return fire."

"Oh? And what position, I ask, are you in? That's right. You should have done that the first time, stupid."

Katara glared, shutting her mouth in frustration. She growled, matching Zuko's expression as they both glared at the blind girl.

It was a lost cause though. Oh, but she could feel the vibrations though. What _lovely, cheerful_ vibrations they were too. Toph snickered at the sarcasm.

------------------------------------

Then Toph had taken out her cell phone and dialed Suki. In less than a quarter of an hour, Suki and her daughter arrived—the baby wide eyed from her mother's way-over-the-speed-limit-and-the-wheels-almost-came-off-the-ground-to-take-flight- sort of passage. Suki's eyes soon matched her daughter's when she took in the sight of Zuko. He was scowling, glaring at the soil, not looking up as she gasped.

Katara pinched the bridge of her nose, annoyance obviously clear.

Suki let Kayla down as she protested, and the blue eyed toddler crawled over to her aunt, sitting up with a confused stare. Her little hands found Katara's necklace, but she didn't tug. In fact, she smiled up at the waterbender and gurgled. Even though her feet were tied up, Katara's hands weren't. Gently, she turned the child around and rubbed her green clad back affectionately.

Nothing was said as the Kyoshi native took in the sight. Toph stomped the ground, and a stone chair formed behind her. It was a chair fit for a queen. It was smooth and perfectly proportioned. It had designs engraved so intricately that it made Suki's shoulder's slump in defeat. Always for flair, she thought in amazement.

Toph sat down in the over sized throne chair and kicked her feet up on the armrest with her hands behind her head in a smug declaration.

Katara calmed down, keeping her eyes trained on her niece. She was softly humming, her expression blank and her shoulders tense. A sign for Suki that she was extremely pissed and ready to lash out. It would have bothered her, but the mother saw something else. Thank Spirits that the baby was calming down her husband's sister. She would have been nervous otherwise.

Her dark blue eyes went to the strange egg shape cage. It looked like the firebender was half way hatched, she smirked. But wait. He should be alive. He should be dead, and his remains buried in the fire nation. Prince Zuko shouldn't even be alive and breathing.

But he was.

Zuko had closed his eyes, meditating. He looked peaceful. The air around him said otherwise. Glancing back and forth between him and Katara, she put two and two together. Suki had a picture pop up in her mind. A snarling wolf, savage and trapped, blood lust in his eyes. He was furious. Other small signs showed too. His clenched jaw, the strained tendon in his neck, and the slight frown to his otherwise expressionless features.

That brought Suki back to the obvious question.

Suki looked at the sight, her brow creasing as a confused smile spread on her lips. "So… what exactly am I missing here?"

---------------------------------------------------

"Zuko?"

"Mmm hm?"

"Remind me next time Suki gives me babysitting duty to charge her."

"Why? You like kids. You're just saying that because you're nervous."

"Oh?"

He sat on the ground, having just found his tools of trade, and was sketching the water bending aunt with her niece. It was a stress reliever, she thought with a nod of her head. Zuko should flaming, or breathing smoke. He should be tense with his nerves drawn tight.

But he was handling it just fine. He was relaxed, showing her a contentment that startled her. It was like he wasn't about to face his given task set before him. He always surprised her. Whether good or bad, she never knew what to expect from him. And she hoped that she never would.

Kayla had fallen asleep in her lap, and Katara watched as he drew them, his smile inviting. He sat only a few feet away, quickly sketching, easily capturing what he saw on paper. He plucked a colored pencil from the large wooden bow filled with every color imaginable.

Candles of every shape, size and color lit up the room, the glow intimate and the curtains drawn shut. The smell of spices filled the room, subtle, and not overpowering in the slightest.

And why candles, you ask?

Have any of you ever been in hiding?

Honestly, think of what would happen if a neighbor looks outside their window at night, their eyes falling on the brightly lit window of their neighbor—whose house hasn't been occupied in more than a year.

Get the point?

It was a good thing Zuko's nearest neighbors were over a mile away. Dense forest, gardens, ponds, meadows, and other natural obstacles stood in the way of nosy people. Add the tall cast iron fence surrounding the haven, and you had privacy you could only dream of.

They still took the precautions, despite of the chances.

Then there was the blackmail from Suki and Toph.

It was a simple thing Katara was given. Watching her niece, that was. It was a part of her punishment, or payment. Suki's half of the black mail.

But honestly? Katara would take this over having her closet raided any day, hands down. Her niece wasn't fussy or a grumpy baby—just the opposite. She'd never seen a baby so quiet or well behaved. It made her wonder what kind of teenager she'd grow up to be…

The blind earth bender's condition was a bit more serious than that though.

She wouldn't squeal as long as Zuko did one thing for her.

And that was to go see his uncle.

------------------------------------------------------------

_Three weeks later...._

Katara was worried sick. Litteraly In her apartment, she didn't know what was happening. And every minute her anxiety was getting worse and worse. She felt so tired, but she'd slept long the night before. After she hadn't eaten anything in a while, and she felt nauseated.

Again.

Oh, hell. She'd thrown up three times today, and she had only eaten two toaster strudels

She concluded it to do with nerves.

Kayla was coloring on the floor, none of the pages in her cartoon color book spared from her purple crayon. Her niece's little pink jumper had a small duck holding an umbrella in the center. If she wasn't so distracted, she would have cuddled the little girl. Right now, she was keeping her promise—to three people.

Suki, Kayla, and Zuko.

Zuko had made her promise she wouldn't come with him to see Iroh. He'd said this was something he had to do by himself. Frustrated, she'd tried to disagree, but his earnestness made her swallow any objections.

Iroh deserved to know his nephew was fine—but that didn't mean she didn't have to like the way he was going to be told. Again, she had her niece—the reason why obvious. Aunt Wu would know the mintute Katara left her niece. Katara didn't doubt it. Aunt Wu was bold enough to find where she lived, knock on her door and lecture her for La knows how long about proper child care.

Besides, what other choice did Katara have at the moment? Kayla's parents were busy. Most likely rekindling their marriage. Zuko was heading for Iroh's. Aang was at work. And Katara could care less about Toph for the moment. It was her fault Zuko was even doing this.

And when she opened the door awhile later to pick up her mail, a recorder was shoved in her face and a person with a brown suit popped out of nowhere. With Kayla in her arms, Katara blinked as the camera flashed went off, blinding her.

"Are you Katara?"

Katara tried to speak, dazed from the bright flashes."Wh—"

"And what did he do to you?"

"E-excuse me?" She whispered in horror. She had an idea where this was going.

"The Blue Spirit, Miss! He kidnapped you and another man last week,." One stated, in a matter of fact kind of tone. They jumped aside as another camera was shoved forward. "Do you happen know where he is right—

"—did you happen to see his face?" One yelled at her, eyes wild. His hair was barely there, and another man had his elbow in the man's face, trying to shove him down.

"Where you harmed in anyway?"

A short, round face woman shoved her way through the mob. "Can you tell us the inside scoop?"

"How is it you were targeted?"

"Would you care to tell us your story?"

Suddenly, three more reporters appeared. Startled and terrified, she slammed the door, locking the deadbolt and the other locks.

All that had happened in less than twenty seven seconds.

People shouted through the door, knocking frantically, but she didn't reopen it. Katara set her niece down, soothing the crying child as she tried to keep latched on the her Aunt. As soon as Kayla let go, She stepped away, closing the blinds in case of more reporters.

Ten mintutes later, it had quieted. And she almost believed they'd disappeared. Until she heard muted talking. She waited a long while before looking through the peephole again.

Nope. No luck. This time, one had a camera poised and waiting. The mob of people were crowded, some chatting, and other's slumped along the wall. There were more out of her view, she calculated. There was no way she could go out. The only way in and out was through that door.

And a mob of cameras, reporters, and microphones blocked her way any further.

But she had another problem.

Zuko would be coming back sooner or later. With this many cameras, they were sure to get him of film. He couldn't afford that. The world thought Prince Zuko was dead. What kind of reaction, she pondered, would the world have once they discovered he was alive?

Then there was the threat of Azula. And Mai. And the Fire Lord.

And everyone else that wanted him dead.

Katara picked up her phone, dialing her neighbor as her hand trembled.

"Hello?" A sleepy voice yawned.

Katara thanked her luck.

"Jin, I need you to do me a favor."

It took a minute for the woman to wake up the rest of the way, and when she did, she laughed. "Katara? I haven't seen you in a while. Is everything okay?"

Katara cut to the point. "No, it's not. Now, get a pen and a piece of paper." She shoved a lock of hair behind her ear, cursing. "I have something I need you to do."

"What's going on? And—" **Slam.** Katara jumped, spilling over a vase of flowers as a door slammed next door, vibrating the walls. " _Holy_ s_hit. Damn it! _Why is there _media _swarming outside in the hallway?"

Katara heard the shouts rise outside as her friend cursed into the receiver. They were on the move. These reporters were like angry swarming insects. No one was safe from their questions. La, how was she going to get rid of them?

"I'm not really quiet sure, but I think it's my fault. I'm sorry—"

"Look, I'm not going to ask, alright? Your business is your own." Various sounds followed inbetween. "Now I was should be busy making lunch, but I-- "--Rustle-- " guess that's going--" --Clank-- " --to have to wait." --Rip-- "Now, _where_ did I put that stupid--" --Snap-- "--Ah hah! Here it is." --Yawn-- " Sure. You've done so many things for me, Katara. It's only fair I return the favor."

"I haven't really done all that much," Katara reminded Jin.

"Sure you have!" Jin said in exasperation. "You make sure I execise on the weekends - you're almost always right there jogging with me, motivating me. You watered my plants and fed my cats when I was gone and no one else would! You let me practice my job by letting me do your hair. You got that creepy guy to quit stalking me. Gracious, you even helped me clean up this atrocious place I call home when my parents were going to visit! How is that _not_ a whole lot?"

There was an awkward pause on Katara's part of the line as she put a hand to her face, covering her flaming cheeks. Her friend's voice had brought a vertigo to the waterbender, mentioning trivial deeds of kindness back up.

Jin didn't seem to notice.

"Okay, what is it you wanted again?"

--------------------------------------------------------

Several times for the next few hours, her phone kept going off—both her cell and land lines. She didn't recognize any of the numbers, so she didn't pick up. She shut her cell off and unplugged her house phone, grateful for the silence. For her niece, she kept calm. She filled a large cooking pot with water and set it on the ground in front of the curious child. Let her splash around for a bit, Katara intended. The waterbender quietly talked while she bended for her niece. Her head was starting to hurt, but she knocked back the prescribed amount of advil, and forgot about it.

She turned her cell on, check to make sure her family hadn't called. Eighty-two missed calls and text messages added up in total. She deleted countless voicemail and texts, sweeping her long hair into a pony tail. As she was closing her cell, her phone rang again, but this time though she recognized the caller.

"Hello?"

"It's me." a low growl whispered softly. "Now, next time you ever try something like that, give me an excuse to get away from her. Your neighbor is--"

"--over ambitious? Yeah, I know." The waterbender turned away, grinning in relief as she started picking up the scattered box of crayons and the coloring books. Putting them away, she paced around the apartment.

"Anyway, I got your message."

"Thank La." Katara breathed, tuning out the loud, cheerful sweet nonsense of noise her niece was spewing forth.

She glanced sideways as Kayla reached up. Katara took the phone away from her mouth, and apologetically whispered. "Not now, honey, I'll play with you in a moment."

Katara put the phone back as her neice pouted, pounding her fist on the carpet.

"How are you?" Zuko asked, concerned. His voice was like music to her ears. The distinct sound of foot steps echoed from the other line.

"I'm fine." She lied. No need to tell him about her being sick or her aching back. "I just need you _not_ to come here right now."

"What's going on?" He demanded, and she imagined his worried frown. Then again, it might just be her worried imagination filling in the blanks. "Your neighbor said you were having issues. Why didn't you call me yourself?"

"Well, uh, this might be hard to explain."

Silence from the other line. She heard a heavy sigh and continued. "About one something this afternoon, someone knocked on my door. I opened it. And a about an hour later, six people plus are still outside waiting for me to come out. Media. They want to know about the Blue Spirit."

A moment passed before he spoke again.

"Are they still there?"

"Give me a minute." She turned the doorknob, and mummers spiked. All she'd done was twist the doorknob and the gossip sharks had been stirred.

This was bad.

"Yeah."

"Don't leave your apartment."

"What are you—"

"I'll see you later. I love you."

"Zu—"

He hung up.

"--ko." She ended with a sigh.

Great, now she didn't just want to bang her head on the door. She wanted to take a water whip to the nosey reporters outside. And maybe destroy their equipment. Freeze their heads together. Punch one in the face. Kick someone in the balls. Or something close to that.

But then they'd sue her for assault. When they had been the ones to provoke her in the first place.

She slammed the phone back in its docking station, and the splash of water startled her. Turning around, she saw her niece blinking, drenched, her little hands in the air.

"Kat!" Kayla gave a sparkling, toothy smile, her big blue eyes bright with a child's pure love. She waved her hands and the water rose up an inch off the soaked carpet. Katara soon forgot her predicament, because the child had just proven herself. She had taken after her father's side of the family.

She was a waterbender too.

And within the hour, they were both wet and laughing. Trying to make best of the situation, the blue eyed woman proudly watched as her niece splashed the water without touching it, the cast iron pot over three feet away.

That didn't mean she was seriously considering just eating out her supply of rich, double chocolate ice cream. With chocolate syrup and nuts on top. Maybe add a mountain of whip cream and a can of root beer to boot to that.

And maybe slice up a peach and eat that too.

* * *

Read and review. Vitual cookie and high five for anyone that can figure out what's really going on.


	18. Zuko's new friend

* * *

As he shoved his way single-mindedly to the door of the apartment, reporters started questioning him relentlessly. He started making wheezy, sick, concerning sounds as he knocked his special knock on her door.

Now all he had to do was wait.

In the subtly lit hallway, the walls surrounding the small passage way were a mellow green, and the concrete ground bare and strikingly plain in comparison to the front doors of the apartments.

The lighting was low enough that the shadows that fell upon this man were an improvement. From a few feet away, the man looked bad enough in the discrete lighting. With past experience, the reporter nearby knew exactly what was about to happen—but couldn't get the words out of his mouth to warn his coworker fast enough.

The first one approached the odd man, barely getting the first demanding question out before the explosion happened.

The man's low, husky voice cursed, and one of the women gasped at his choice words. He ranted, and several of the female reports shivered at the sexy voice, temporarily forgetting what the appearance of the man was. His voice most unquestionably didn't match his face, or his body, or his clothes…

"_What the heck?!_ I leave the baby with the wife for a few hours and I come home to find my place trashed with random brown noses? Who the hell are you people? And why are you crowding around in the hall? Haven't you ever heard of fire hazards?!"

The female percentage slid behind the male portion. They shrunk back, suddenly fearful of this mad man. He looked crazed, and a predator look filled his undistinguishable features. Then the smog of decaying smells reached them. His stench was overpowering. A pair of camera men left, holding a hand over their mouths as they scrambled for the exit.

His dark greasy hair was out of place, hanging in front of his eyes. No one could tell if it was brown, red or black. It also had dried paint splatters and other various things knotted and tangled in. He was dark skinned, with oil smears covering what could be seen. He was tall and large, but…

No one could really tell much because he was hunched over with several, thick layers of clothing. And several of them took his bulk as fatty baggage now that they studied him. He had a tangled, bushy beard that looked suitable for a rat to live in. All kinds of assorted stains were permanently splattered, splashed, and dotted over his torn, ghastly clothing and his dirty person. The only skin showing was the skin on his face and hands and his shoes were worse for wear, holey and rank.

His attire was from the pits of hell—not even the worst of demons could have been responsible for the stench. Or the very intangible material that hung loosely around his large body.

A trio of female reporters left, gasping for breath, a sick patina blending over their made up features. A man followed then, just seconds behind, making gagging noises.

He—the man of the unexplainable odor—looked and smelled like he'd been fished out of a landfill before being sent off diving the dumpsters. Then become good friends with a skunk bear and a musk badger. And… and spirits only knew what else.

One of the reporters spoke up for them all, pinching his nose as he tried to recompose himself. He was a handsome fellow, with strong facial features and broad shoulders, but you could see every one of sparkly, overpowering white teeth from his grin.

They blinded the tall dilapidated man for a moment, and as he blinked, little blue dots swirl in his line of vision.

The clean reporter dared to move in a few feet, before having to stumble back. The smell was too much. "W-we're here to see Katara." The earth kingdom man gasped. "Sir, is she inside?"

The others gained their courage, taking a hesitant step closer.

A funny looking man elbowed his way past two female reporters. He came up to the stranger's elbow, and had a mean look to his squat sour features. He didn't seem to notice the stanch in the slightest. "Are you an acquaintance of Katara, Haru's mystery woman?" He barked in a nasally voice, his microphone was shoved into a bearded, grimy face.

"Are you related to her?" One reporter smiled coyly, a sudden sparkle shining in gray eyes. It was painfully obvious she'd had many, _many_ plastic surgeries. Raising a thin brow, her collagen enhanced lips quirked. "Or are you her special someone?"

The others gave this one a disbelieving stare. What? _This_ man a special someone to_ anyone_? He didn't even look suitable enough to live in filth, let alone be involved with a member of the opposite sex.

The mystery man bellowed, his voice raspy voice becoming demanding as he cleared his throat, placing his hand on the doorknob. From raspy to snarling, the man looked ready to tear them apart.

"Katara? Who is this _Katara_ you are blubbering about? I'm Wang. What the heck are you assholes doing on this doorstep? This is a_ tiny_ apartment! I didn't invite you free loaders! How do you people expect to fit inside?" He pointed at the nearest exit. "Shoo! My wife, Sapphire, is bound to open the door any minute—"

One man said in a slow drawl, quickly interrupting, as if he didn't believe him."—so this isn't Katara's apartment? Are we at the wrong place?"

"We can't be! She came out earlier!" A high pitched bleached blond shrilled annoyingly.

"—and start yelling." The man continued on as if they hadn't spoken, lifting up a reproachful grimy finger. "She and her buddies went out today because she found out she's pregnant. _AGAIN!_ Don't you make me sic a hormonal pregnant lady on your asses."

They paused for a moment, the frantic gleam of the nervous, twitchy man's plain muddy brown eyes weirding them out. They inched back as he tried to shoo them away with odd facial expressions and even odder noises. One by one, some of them left, thinking in pity at the crazed maniac.

But several pairs remained, braving the mad man and his nauseating smell.

As he and the rest of the reporters argued, Katara looked through the peephole, her mouth hanging open. It couldn't be... could it?

A… hobo?

She'd turned all but one lamp off. Soaked from her niece's first attempts of waterbending, she dripped over her kitchen tile as she looked out the tiny peephole. Her hand tightened around the doorknob as her horrified expression darkened into confusion and dismay.

Kayla, having been playing with the water, was now wide-eyed at the loud disturbing noises. She sat on the floor, sitting up, frozen as her aunt spun around to glance at her.

But having a short attention span proved its worth. Kayla went back to splashing in the water, expressing her simple joy in a random collection of words.

La, this was only getting _worse!_ Katara groaned. First the reporters, and now a homeless, delusional man without his meds?! _Damn it._ This was terrible. Katara couldn't help it. Her nerves were unraveling, and she knew her mood swings wouldn't get much worse than this.

Zuko was still in danger! There were still two cameras outside in the now-still-over-crowded-but-more-comfortable hallway. They, the reporters, could capture him on film, broadcast that footage anywhere in the world and then Zuko would be exposed.

Because if he got so much as a few seconds of exposure on a broadcast, people could find him. There were still people that would actually finish the job this time around if they caught the fire nation heir. Zuko would die this time if he was discovered by his father, his sister, and/or his ex-fiancé. (She was most concerned about the assassin. Only Zuko could have gotten into an arranged marriage with an assassin.)

And Katara would lose him all over again.

She was pissed off and worried so badly her nerves were frazzled. Add the commotion outside, and she very well might start yelling.

She calmed down, breathing deeply as she'd learned so long ago, reigning in her raging storm of emotions. As much as the reporters bothered her, a mentally unstable man declaring ludicrous things at the top of his lungs and saying his pregnant wife was inside here with her worried her substantially more.

There was no way that man was getting inside.

Kayla was in here.

And Katara was pretty sure her maternal instincts had just exploded into existence.

She could barely make out the people through her peephole, but she squinted. The Hobo's back almost blocked out the entire peephole, and she wanted to tell him not to move, but to go away.

She was ready to just knock them all out, pack her things, pick up her niece, and be through with it. She'd come for her things later, she bitterly sighed. She couldn't be the reason Zuko was exposed.

But she bit her lip, praying for a miracle.

Then another man, similar in appearance and smell to the first wacko poofed into existence. He looked almost the same as the first man. He was shorter though, less muscled, and his skin was a bit lighter. Ink dyed his left hand. And as she looked closer thought the peep hole, Katara could see that it looked like glove of tattoos. At least, that's what she thought it was.

He threw his arm around the taller Crazy's shoulder, and the two exchanged a look. This man was dark, but not nearly as tanned as the first man. His five o'clock shadow, accompanied by grease and dirt and many other things, made him appear to be younger and leaner than the taller man. He wore a beanie, but his hair still curtained slightly over his eyes.

Now all she could see was someone's jacket.

So she gave up.

Just as she was turning around, she heard loud, rambunctious guffaws.

_Sokka?! _

Katara looked back out of the peephole, and Sokka's blue eyes winked at her as he moved away. He was the shorter one. The one that had followed in second.

Then... who the hell was the other?

She didn't recognize him, whoever he was. Then again, she wouldn't have recognized Sokka if he wouldn't have made that silly laugh of his. Oh, La. She couldn't watch anymore. Humiliation flooding her, she turned her back to the door and started mumbling under her breath.

"It must have been when Sokka hit his head," Katara thought out loud, shamed wonderment replacing the embarrassment. "Yeah, that's it. Me and Aang should have _never_ tried to carry him down the stairs in high school. We were so _stupid!_ Sokka broke his leg and we just _had_ to be nice! If we'd never carried him, we would have never dropped him, and his head wouldn't have hit the railing. He could have been _normal!"_

She thought in awe at the thought of her brother being just like everyone else. She toyed with that idea to distract herself from the commotion outside. Even is the commotion was the reason she was trying to convince her nerves and churning stomach to just _calm_ _down._

------------------------------------

_Outside in the hallway…_

"How do we know you're not lying to us?" The blondie eyed the weird looking man before her, raising a dark eyebrow. She looked so made up, that Sokka sneezed.

"You wear way too much powder, lady! Move around some more, miss! Maybe we'll have some early snow this year!" He dramatically pinched his nose. "Phft! And you smell like Bath and Body Works exploded! How can you can stand her?" he directed to another reporter next to her.

Look who was speaking, they all thought. You smell like the bad end of a—

"Answer me!" Sokka suddenly popped up before the balding reporter. The reporter became nervous as the attention was directed towards him. Scuffing his shoes on the cement, he stuttered, and turned tail, not bothering to reply. The giant blond streaked after him along with her reporter and camera.

Then Sokka, muck, stench, and all, banged the door with a clenched fist. "Open up the door, honey! I have a little surprise for 'ya!"

------------------------

_Inside the apartment...._

"Open up the door, honey! I have a little surprise for 'ya!"

Katara looked up. Remembering back to the good old days (. high school and college), she gave a weary smile. Sokka was a genius. Whatever his plan had been, she could sorta understand where it was going. And she was sorta trying to hold back relieved tears. Sokka had come to her rescue. For the first time since Jr. High, her big brother was coming to her rescue.

Katara decided to play along. Sokka, the dramatic fool, had just wittingly demanded she answer. There were two reporters left, so...

She softly cleared her throat, lowered her pitch, and let an angry snarl come from her mouth. Her eyes filled with delight. "Let me put the baby down! It's not like you help any around here, you lazy bum!"

Whipping around, she almost tripped over her jeans, and then a stray crayon, as she took away the water filled cooking pot from Kayla. Katara moved as fast as she possibly could, before the toddler could scurry away, and secured her into her old high chair. Pulling a covered speckled bowl from the fridge, the waterbender picked up the forgotten oatmeal that she'd tried introducing Kayla to earlier this morning.

This was going to get _loud._

"I'm sorry, sweetie." Katara apologized quietly as she winced, knowing she was soon to be deaf. She took out the spoon, loaded it with the cold lumpy oatmeal and told her niece to say 'ahh!'.

And on cue, Kayla's eyes widened, and she started wailing like a dying banshee.

-----------------------------------------------------------

After her brother and his accomplice scared off the last of the reporters, she'd opened up her door. And was drawn into the stickiest, most eye watering embrace in her life. The air was knocked from her lungs as she was bumped into the wall. Her face was pressed against the nastiest material she'd ever seen, touched, and/or smelled in her life, and she gasped in repulsion.

Sokka's ancient gym clothes couldn't amount anywhere near to this stench. It was repulsive. It was indescribable. It was the worst stench in existence.

And her face was being smothered in it. She couldn't breathe, and her eyes were watering as she squirmed like never before. Her back was pressed against the wall, and she was trapped. She was pinned against the wall, with a warm body pressing against her.

But it wasn't her brother who was hugging her. Her eyes widened further as he glanced at her, and a relieved expression mingled with a grin. She started freaking out, cursing loudly and colorfully.

Sokka pushed past them, and went to his daughter. He tried to pick her up, but her wailing grew louder as the smell of her daddy reached her. He tugged off his hat, and kneeling down, he started to give her the baby voice, wincing at the volume of his daughter's wail.

"What's wrong, baby girl?" Sokka said as he finally picked his daughter up. "It's me! Daddy!" She paused for a minute, hiccupping, but shoved at him, squirming.

He'd gotten so used to it, the smell, now that he didn't even notice it anymore. Though _how,_ is a good question…

Sokka chuckled, kissing her forehead, brushing her thick baby curls from her smooth forehead with his grimy hand. "I know. I stink. I'm so sorry, Kayla. You can blame your Aunt Katara for that." He cooed lovingly.

Little Kayla looked over to her Aunt, giggling at the frantic struggle her pretty aunt was facing. For a toddler, Kayla recognized the Aunt Katara didn't like what was going on. In the child's mind, she found her daddy's sister reaction completely hilarious. Katara didn't look happy. The big man was surrounding Katara, just like her daddy was doing to her. Aunt Kat was trying to do what she had done--shoved him away.

Kayla's sweet laughter filled the air just as the stench was doing, permeating and saturating the premises.

Katara was completely surrounded. And she couldn't move much more, because the toll it was taking was draining. Katara was very near to passing out from the smell when the person holding her spoke.

"Didn't I say I'd see you later?" He rasped protectively, the irritating beard chaffing her forehead as he rested his chin on her head.

Katara was stunned. She drew in a lungful of air, but coughed. The smell…oh, La she felt nauseated. Again. As in, throwing up right now and here.

Katara choked out, gagging and shocked, trying to push him away. She put a few inches in between them. Looking up, Katara said the longest string of profanities she knew, and added some efficient words to the mix.

"Who are you? You sound just like Zu…Er… My… ah…hmm" Her eyebrows furrowed, and she coughed with an embarrassed look. "oh, this is just awkward." She said as she tried to inch away, and lunge for the door.

When he took a step forward, she fist shot out. The stranger grabbed it, and he looked genuinely surprised before he became angry. With a quick movement, Katara found her back against the man instead of the wall.

A certain hardness made her jaw drop open. Was he…?!

Oh, La!

"Let me go!" Katara cried, and fought back.

The man had her trapped though. Although she tried to hit him, he'd pinned her against him. With his entire body, he'd draped over her. His scraggily bearded chin was tightly rooted, resting on the top of her head. The man's arms had bound her until she was surrounded.

She'd tried stomping his boot, but that had hurt. Shehad slammed her foot down, barefoot against, a steel-toe boot? Damn, damn, damn! La, _damn it_ that hurt. She whimpered, and felt tears sting her eyes as her heel throbbed.

The man chuckled, and Katara froze. "Zuko?" She realized, a wave of mixed feelings filling her.

"The one and only." His voice tickled her ear. It was déjà vu all over again. Just… with lights on and more smell.

"Now, if I let you go, will you promise not to injure anything you'll regret hurting later? I want kids you know," Zuko breathed, and delicious shivers raced down her skin. "I want you so badly, Katara. I want to do so many things with you. I want to f—"

"Zuko!" Katara inturpted. But it wasn't from embarrassment. Her eyes were dilated, and an alarming flame of lust dripped into her belly.

"Can't you see how much I want you?"Zuko sighed.

"_See?_ More like f—"

"Watch your language," he teased. "Your brother won't like you teaching Kayla any new words now, mmm?"

"I wasn't going to say anything! It's you with the dirty langue, mister." She accused. "You're the one who almost said the—"

"Ah, ah, ah." The firebender said, and his hold shifted. "All I asked is if you could see how much I want you. How could you say that? Katara," Zuko growled with a chuckle. "We can continue this later. When Sokka's gone. Then I will show you something I've been dying to do."

But she couldn't see him, much less move—spots were appearing before her closed eyes. She started gagging, and her nostrils flared as she twisted her face away, desperate to have cleaner air.

He grabbed her hand, but she yanked herself away. Before she could think, Katara went out her apartment, drawing in deep long draws of clean air as she looked anywhere but to the offended and fuming firebender. Aroused too, if what she'd felt was right.

Zuko followed behind her. She covered her mouth and nose, and shook her head as the smell filled the hallway. It wasn't nearly as bad now, because the smell wasn't as packed up out in the hall as the small apartment.

From the corner of her eye, he looked as bad as he smelled. He was a stranger before her. And she didn't face him; it seemed the stench was less consuming on the bright side if she turned away. She could only recognize him by his voice, she realized. He'd fooled not only the reporters—who knew his face just as well as every other celebrity—but her too.

Looking over her shoulder, she held her breath and studied him with narrowed blue eyes.

His skin was almost as dark as hers, and he was sporting a burly beard. His clothes were, well, disgusting. Underneath his heavy clothing, he looked…fat. Like Uncle Iroh sized. But bigger. Not that Iroh was fat; it was just… not good looking on Zuko. At all. Nada. Ziltch. Ew. _Gross!_

She turned around, trying to escape the stench once again, not able to keep from grinning at the stranger that had Zuko's voice.

"Why…?" She murmured, knowing Zuko would fill in the blanks. She started laughing, but a fit of coughs took over.

"It's a disguise, Katara." Zuko stated, as if she hadn't already noticed. "Sokka's idea."

"You got _that _right." She said, stepping away a few more feet.

"Why do you look like you're going to be sick?" He said as he stepped forward, and she put a hand over her mouth.

She did in fact look paler, and a miserable expression masked her thoughts. "You really can't smell yourself?!" Katara gasped once the notion struck her. He was frowning, as if she were stating the obvious.

"I must have gotten used to it, love." Zuko lowered his voice, and it sent another round of delicious chills up her skin. No matter how he looked, his voice was sexy. Wanting. Possessive. Arrogent. Hers.

The possibilities were endless when her mind wandered, she thought with a smirk. She'd jump him now right here in the hallway if it weren't for the fact of her brother, her niece, her neighbors, and his smell.

And she was being seriously tempted. As much as the firebender's smell and appearance disgusted her, she loved him more.

But he wasn't going to stay that way.

Not if she had anything to do about it.

He reached for her, but she moved just out of reach.

"Damn, Zuko, you're overpowering. I love you, and I thank you for getting those reporters to leave…"

She looked down towards the end of the hallway. She lived about three hundred feet away from a fire escape, and about three hundred seventy feet away from the elevator. Damn over crowded apartments, she thought dizzily. No ventilation.

Then she realized what she said.

"You got the reporters to leave?! Are you stupid?" She growled, a thunderous look smothering over her aversion. "Do you know how much you just risked doing that? Do—"

"But—" Zuko spat, frustrated at her stubbornness. He wanted to hold her, damn it. He wanted to kiss her senseless. He wanted to make her come like never before. He had hard on throbbing so badly that it hurt to walk. He literally needed her like the air he breathed.

"_No._ But nothing! I'm not touching you again until you can scour off the muck and…" she tried to think of a good phrase, but failed. The result of being oxygen deprived. Her head was too light to even think. "And… and all that dying, rotting filth!"

"Fine!" He roared, going back into the apartment, a burst of sparks spraying from his hand as it clenched. "I'm not cleaning up until you touch me!"

_-------------------------------------_

Later, long after Sokka and Kayla had left, Katara and Zuko had ridden back to his home. The tinted windows of the vehicle had been rolled down, and Katara had stuck her head out the window the entire time, gazing out to the passing nighttime world. In Katara's mind, she kept reviewing what Sokka had said.

"_He's a good man, Katara." Her brother said seriously, strapping in Kayla to her car seat. She didn't seem to mind the smell anymore, and she was sleeping peacefully, suckling her thumb. Sokka yawned loudly; facing Katara he closed the back seat car door softly behind him._

"_Zuko filled me in." Sokka met her gaze as he leaned against the car, crossing his arms over his chest. He was a mess: his hair, his skin, his clothes, and… all of him, actually. He smelled just as bad, if not worse than Zuko. Who was fuming in the car and waiting._

_Katara blinked. "What do you mean by everything?"_

"_I won't go back into the long details, but I'll just say it in the short and sweet version. Zuko came to my work place, and begged me to help him. Imagine me, seeing the dead prince of the Fire Nation! Then it got better. At the time, all I knew was that you were in trouble. We drove to my place, and picked up a few things. He explained things on the way."_

_He went on as she shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. It wasn't cold, but goose bumps raced down her skin._

"_I got the big picture, so, yeah." Sokka cleared his throat, awkwardly glancing away. "I trust him with you. And I see the betrothal necklace. I… uh… our…" Her brother's face held an unreadable expression, and he swallowed. "What I'm trying to say is that Mom and Dad would have liked him, sis." _

_Katara felt a deep rifting sorrow knock against her heart as the mention of their parents. She didn't even know if her dad was even alive. _

_Sokka flashed her a grin, unslouching. "Ah! Hey, I talked to Zuko earlier. We're going to come over tomorrow, so…"He trailed off, and shucked his jacket off. Peeling off two over sized shirts and an blackened, mildewed/questionable undershirt, he tossed them in the dumpster. His boots and two pairs of socks followed in suite._

_Clad only in jeans of undeterminable color, he looked down at his body. Something crusted from his neck down to his pectoral. Bumpy scars—when had those gotten there?—coiled around the curve of his neck and his ear. From his bicep to his fingertips, his skin was bleached lighter. From his neck to his hairline too._

"_What is that?" She asked incredulously. _

_In the flood lights, he looked like he'd bathed in sewage. But why was his skin two/three toned like that? It hadn't been there all the years Katara had known him. All those many years of telling him to stop running around the house in his boxers and put a shirt on. Yep, she knew that there had definatly been something involved in the change of his skin tone._

_She just didn't know what it was at the present moment._

"_Suki's gonna kill me, Kat. You're welcome."_

_Katara gaped at his sudden change his mood. He'd gone from serious, to embarrassed, to chipper, to annoyed in less than a moment._

_Shouldn't she be the one with the mood swings? _

"_It'll be all of us, Kat. We've got things to discuss. I still have to hear the rest of it. I want to hear it all." Her brother nodded, going slowly around to the driver's seat._

_She knew that. Certainly they were going to have to talk things over. She could handle them. Sokka and his family wasn't anything. She and Zuko would be alright with a little company. _

"_Alright. We'll be ready."_

Once they arrived home, they didn't bother going inside. He'd muttered under his breath something undistinguishable as she'd barricaded the door and pointed towards the nearest water hose.

He'd twisted the knob, but nothing came out. She tried another one, near the second garage, but it was dry too. There was only one more watering hose nearby.

He led her around a bend of trees and bamboo, stepping on a worn path until they reached the small alcove of the hot tub. It was late in the evening, no clouds to be seen. But as they stepped over the covered worn stone path, trees blocked out the sliver of the darkened crescent moon, leaving them in shadows and the wonders of the unseen nature inside this haven.

As they'd walked, he'd lit the torch light, simply walking past and flames engulfed the dry wicks. Revealing a secluded place of lavish and splendor. As the rest of the torches lit, she sighed as her eyes feasted on the area. She'd entertained the thought that his unbearable vapors wafting from him could have ignited once the torches lit.

It was a good thing they hadn't, she thought nervously.

"Are we in agreement?" He asked as her eyes took in the prospect of the wonderful sight. The garden and the scenery and what it centered on—not him, mind you. He was still all nasty and what not.

Natural bamboo and other various plants barricaded this place into secrecy. They had walked through the stone arch, vines snaking around until they overlapped and intersected. You couldn't tell when an ivy vine started, or where it stopped. A surrounding garden and several ancient trees loomed over ahead. It only added to the effect. Towering above, the tall trees and plants closed in this haven. The only was in was the only way out.

Katara kicked off her flip flops, the feel of smooth concrete cool and blessedly welcoming beneath her bare feet. She watched Zuko do the same, the boots and the socks of many shades and smells carelessly forgotten near the entrance. His tugged the beard, and it came off, landing lifelessly atop one of the left tube socks. His jacket flew out to cover them, and then the first of the layers of shirts.

Those must be the equivalent of being glued on, she reflected miserably, as she watched him peel it off audibly. The first few were long sleeved, hardened and stubbornly clinging in objection. And he couldn't peel them all off at once. He'd rip his skin off if he did that.

Just what had he gotten into? And why did he look so different? She knew something was wrong—she just didn't know how to describe it.

And she was honestly too tired to do much more thinking.

"Yeah." Katara sighed in defeat. "It's unavoidable at this point."

She knew what Zuko was referring to. Neither of them could agree to each other's terms. So to make things even, they were meeting each other in the middle without.

The torch lamps ended at the concrete. What seemed to be a mammoth natural hot spring fell in the center of the alcove. It stretched out, the edges of the steaming pool lapping against a rocky ending. Above it, several tires of smaller springs pooled into each other, water falling down into the largest of the four. Rich greenery surrounded the springs, swallowing the outside world. A canopy of ancient trees intertwined, blocking out any inch of the sky. Ivy of several species spiraled around the wood of several of the lower limbs, gracefully drooping and weaving in between each tree.

The light of the torches reflected in the dark waters edge, and visible steam rose in delicious temptation. Her eyes ventured. The pale concrete ended before her, thick dark green grass trailing until it disappeared into smooth stones, then there was the lapping water.

It called to her. She simpered, knowing there was only one task before she could go in.

And that was getting her lover clean.

She honestly didn't want to touch the disgusting stuff he'd saturated his skin with, but she wasn't going in the hot springs alone. No, she wanted something to happen as soon as they both slid into the heated waters. Something special and intimate. Something naughty and passionate and totally way too vivid and …well…you know…to be written down in any sort of text.

Near the entrance, one each side sat interfacing stone benches. Hidden along the side of one, was a water hose coiled around a stone rack. The firebender reached for the rose and loosened the hose before twisting the nozzle. It made a squeaking resonance, and water gently ran from the end, pooling on the cement.

"Then I guess that's it." Zuko said, their eyes meeting. His features were altered. He didn't look like the firebender she knew. Or loved. Or wanted to screw senseless until every part of him was a boneless heap.

Katara frowned, finally noticed that which was beyond the filth. His ears looked larger, and his jaw and cheeks were rounded. His skin tone, beneath the odd assortment of stains and grease marks, were unusual darker than his normal skin tone should be.

But despite that, a hungry smirk tugged at his full lips, and she rolled her eyes. He looked so ridiculous. Layers upon layers of unimaginable things hid the firebender. His eyes were a dark muddy brown. Colored contacts, she apprehended. But they glowed with an inferno of bottled desire as he sat down on one of the stone benches, spreading his legs apart and bracing his hands behind himself as he watched her for a moment.

Katara left him to fetch supplies—soaps, towels, and many, many wash clothes. When she returned, a large pile of discarded articles of clothing lay atop the boots, and Zuko was naked.

Or close to it. He had a towel wrapped around him, hugging his hips. Despite his smell and his facade, she felt another pool of arousal stir inside her. She knew what he looked like beyond the ridiculous disguise. This glorious man was hers. This handsome, sinful man was hers and hers alone.

A smug smile curled at her lips as she looked upon him. He looked tanned and he was stained everywhere and anywhere with a multitude of stains and splotches of mysterious substances.

Was that mustard? The grease was obvious. So was the two day old fish. The green was questionable—and the dried, blood red stains concerned her. The crust must be from dried... something. And she was pretty sure the blue ones were either ink or from a slushy. Or was that auto lubricant?

His skin tone was in two colors. From his knees and elbows down, and from his neck and up, it was an unnatural shade darker than his torso.

Spraying his hair with the hose, a steady flow of water fell over her. She watched in horror as the water landed to the cement, a murky shade of brownish red. What in the world was that stuff residue from?

Before the dirty water would touch any more of the clean sanctuary, she bended it into a large ball, walking out of the area to dump it. She disposed of it in a ditch far away from the path, knowing it led away from the hot springs.

By the she returned again, Zuko had appeared from the disguise. He was using one of the wash clothes, scrubbing at his face.

No wonder the press hadn't recognized him. Through his disguise, she hadn't been able to.

Zuko's hair was back to his natural color of midnight black. It was drenched though, and fell over into his face, covering his forehead and eyes in dripping locks.

She laughed musically as she saw what he was getting off with the wash cloth.

"You really do care for me." She teased him, approaching him with a hand on her hip. Her love for him only grew every day. This act in and of itself made her forget her frustration from earlier. He was beginning to smell better, and she stopped just out of reach. "You dyed your hair and wore girly make up."

She'd noticed the other assorted things over in the filthily pile. Was that... a body suit? And there was also what looked like tanned lumps of flesh atop the darkest material. For a minute, she had to shake herself. They weren't real, she convinced herself at once.

"Prosthetics?" Katara realized in surprise."You were wearing a bodysuit _and _latex? How is that possible to make_ anyone_ look nature with that stuff? How…?"

So _that's_ why he'd looked so different. He'd disposed of them, the latex pieces, as well as the contacts and the body suit. All he had left was getting the stubborn base of from his arms and feet. And the back half of his neck and his hair line, Katara mused.

He was miserably scowling as he tossed the dirty washcloth to the ground, grabbing another one. "Only for you, Katara. He murmured in his unique voice as he glanced down at the two used rags. They were well stained with foundation several shades darker than Zuko's natural skin tone.

This particular shade was even darker than hers, once she really looked at it.

"What in the world happened to get the both of you so repulsive?" She asked, already giving up trying to hold her nose with one hand and wash his back with the other. She eyed her lover in an appreciatively as he leaned over, giving her more access to his broad shoulders. The masculine soap that Zuko used was slowly de-scenting the foul odor that clung heavily to his pores.

She soaped up a washcloth with an expensive soap, rubbing it in stimulating circles over his muscles. La, this man was gorgeous. Smelly or not, he was musculature of a god that had decided to take up with a productive bodybuilding program. Katara could feel as well as see firsthand the definition of his muscles when they flexed or shifted, and appreciated that they stopped short of over exaggeration.

His shoulders looked impossibly broad in the soft torch light. From memory, she knew his chest was wide and strong. She recalled that his waist lean and his stomach deliciously firm.

And suddenly, she was practically purring, impatient to get into the hot spring with him.

Zuko gave her a sideways glance, smiling in contentment as she massaged his back, soaping him up. And nonchalantly, he started listing things."Sokka and I stopped by at a friend of a friend's house. And we used some of the leftover Halloween things he had. That's how we got his skin lighter and mine darker. Stupid makeup," he muttered in disgust "it feels funny."

She laughed, pausing. "With all the stuff you had on you, you say the foundation was the worst?"

"Most defiantly. All it's good for is clogging up your skin. I could feel it happening too. It was disgusting." Zuko affirmed stoically, before returning to his listing. "We got close and personal with the sewers. Sokka showed me the fine ways of dumpster diving. We wrestled in the mud. We—"

"Are you serious?" Katara dropped the wash cloth on the stone bench. But her hands stayed splayed out over his back. She honestly didn't know whether to smile or frown. He'd better be joking. Oh, sprits, he'd best be joking. La, she didn't even want to think what was in all those places he mentioned.

"Of course. We did it for you." Zuko was completely serious. But the effect was ruined as he grabbed the water hose from the ground, giving her a view of his lovely rear, and aimed it at her full blast before she could jump back. She cried out as the cold water soaked her, clothes and all.

Katara glared at him, dripping wet as she wiped her hair from her face with a sputtering frown. As she was readying herself to bend the water back at him, he gave her a sultry look, patting his lap.

"Oh, look what I've done." Zuko said with a lazy smirk as she threw the wash cloth at his naked back.

She missed.

It landed with a useless plop to the ground, and he mockingly tsked at her. Picking up a new wash cloth, his gold eyes heated her to the core. He Dipping it under the water, he took a bar of sweet smelling soap and lathered it up inside the wash rag.

Zuko pupils were dilated as her tongue flicked over her lips, catching droplets."Looks like you're going to have to take those clothes off before you catch a cold. Come here, sweet. Let me get you cleaned up."

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Katara slept well that night. Her fantasies had been carried out, all which are too graphic to be mentioned in writing. She and Zuko had soaked in the hot springs until he'd carried her out—she'd slumped over, just about to fall asleep in his arms. He'd changed that. They'd made love outside, by the light of the torches, and in the shower after coming in.

He smelled no more. That costume of his had been disposed of in the garbage. She smelled like his soap, and he smelled like his regular self. He was clean, and he looked well sated as her eyes had drifted shut. She curled up against him, halfway using his a pillow, her head resting on his bare chest. The covers were pulled up over the both of them, and she drifted away into dreams with a soft smile on her face.

Zuko, on the other hand, couldn't sleep as easy as his lifemate. The weight of tomorrow's get together rested heavily over his head. As she slept cuddled up next to him, it had taken him an hour longer to finally relinquish to sleep.

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Katara let him sleep in. But not before gazing at him appreciatively, and sighing several times like a dopey grade schooler. She kissed his forehead and rolled out of bed, stretching. She felt tired, but she made herself move. Even with many hours of sleep, the afterglow was still there.

She felt love. She was happy.

And she forced herself put distance between her and her lover.

Otherwise, she'd be trying to rouse him both ways—literally—with seduction.

It was dark in the master bedroom except for the thin slice of daylight infiltrating through a gap in the blackout drapes, which covered the extensive wall of windows opposite the bed.

She recalled reading an article once in a designer home sort of magazine about the life styles of the rich, the famous, and the royal. The sheets surrounding her probably the best money could buy. Twelve-hundred-thread-count sheets were somewhat similar to these, and some were listed at fourteen thousand dollars a pair. Those were for the nice kind too. Zuko's were probably nicer.

It didn't take account that Zuko's bed wasn't even standard size. It was custom made, as was everything else in his house.

He lived very well indeed.

Why hadn't she suspected anything before when he'd just been a coworker? His sport car should have given her a hint, in the very slightest. Or his posture.

Or…something.

At noon, wiggling in to her lingerie and slipping one of Zuko's clean (one of the expensive-as-hell-ones) shirts over her head, she set off to take care of business. She found a pair of her jeans in his bathroom closet, and put those on too.

Her thoughts coasted in a lazy drift. She'd never worn anything so soft or luxurious before she'd met Zuko. The things he'd gifted her with, back when he'd just been a regular firebender, should have been an obvious indicator of his wealth. The designer clothing should have rung a bell in her mind. His shirt that was softly touching her skin was cashmere, for La's sake.

Why hadn't she guessed before? Why hadn't she even suspected him of his status or title?

Because she'd become so used to him, that it _hadn't_ been obvious. She'd gotten so used to the obvious that it had become normal. When Zuko and Jet had just been coworkers, it should have been a warning bell when the both of them would come and leave as they pleased. Like the days they'd only been there a short while, or the times they didn't show up at all.

She was so stupid for not thinking anything of it.

She padded with bare feet on the lush carpets and wooden floors. The comforting colors of his home made her smile as her thoughts roamed.

As big as this place was, and as spacious and invested as it was, it's homey feel was because of Zuko. This place was of his design. Zuko had intentionally made this place unique like a contractor or an interior designer could have never compared to. His taste was exceptional. Just like his touch, she slyly thought.

The rich burgundy and the accents of gold and cherry wood accented the halls. Like the beautiful jade phoenix statue that stood up to her thigh near the large canvas of living fire under the stone hearth. The luminosity creamy shade of the wall and the light tan of the curtains adorned the upstairs living room. Remarkably comfortable couches and chairs near the hearths. The plain, undecorated starkness of a calendar on his office desk—a beautiful desk she could never hope to afford on her own—filled with bold script. It was dated from over a year ago, she gloomily noted.

Dust had settled over the shelves, and cobwebs in several of the dead potted plants in his office showed the neglect. But his computer, state of the art and ungodly priced, was opened to stock markets. She knew what she was looking at as he leaned over to take a look, and was astounded at the stats.

Zuko was not only rich, but disgustingly so. If these were the numbers he had under one alias…she couldn't amount to what his other accounts had. Or what his birth name was worth.

Wait. Katara straightened up, looking with a few choice words as to how much the stock markets had bounded sky high in the last forty eight hours.

"Shit!" She whispered. His shares and leapt up over a hundred times in the last two days. She knew this was digging through his privacy, but she scrolled around and checked a few things. The stock market had taken a devastating turn. In both directions.

Zuko had invested in only the ones that had boomed in value. Everything else had withered and died into a lowly rate of numbers and graphs. He'd had the insight to see where and when he should take action. And he had. He'd made simple nothings into something. Something in the equivalent of millions.

And that alone was amazing.

In a daze, she returned the screen to the page she found it, and erased her history of delving. She turned her thoughts away, knowing it had been wrong to invade his privacy.

His home. Yeah, that was better than her probing. She switched subject matters in her train of jumbled thoughts.

It was Zuko's mixture of modern with accent of old that made it into this unique blend. Without it, this outstanding home would only be a pretty place. Her hand reached out several times to caress the materials and textures around her as her thoughts revolved around him. Her firebender. Her very own Prince Charming. No, she corrected herself. Her very own Prince_ Zuko._

But she straighten up quietly were it needed, and watered the indoor plants. Once in the kitchen, the waterbender opened the cabinet and the fridge, gathering things she needed for their meal. And as her cell phone rung, she was empting the fresh lunch on the serving plates. She put down the spatula and hurried to the dining table, fishing in her bad until she found it.

"Hello?" She answered without looking at the caller ID. She'd assigned special ring tones to her friends and family. "Where are you?"

"Well, we need to have the gate opened if you want to be specific." Suki said in exasperation.

"Oh!" the waterbender exclaimed, and felt the absolute worst feeling imaginable sink to her gut. "Give me few minutes, okay?

* * *

I'm so sick of the people I'm forced to put up with. I'm sick of my family, my teachers, and my classmates. I'm ready to just start drawing blood from people and...

I'd better not go any farther. I'd probably scare you all away with my violence. By sadly, no, I still have a bit of schooling left. And then various other things among that. And then I'll have to move away and change my name because I'm sick of people stalking me down or something like that. I'm sick of being incompetent and caged in. Kidding about that, everyone. I'm just ready for a vacation. One that involves my dream guy and a very private beach house—and two or three weeks of alone time. There would be no nosy two legged creatures or any of those annoying whining parasites to accompany their hosts (Also known as families with spoiled, bratty children.)

He—my dreamed up mystery man—would give me massages like none have ever been given. He'd shut up and just hold me while I did my best to keep it all together. He'd make me forget everything else but him and his wonderful, sexy, playful, mysterious, possessive, arrogant, and attitude filled personality. Did I mention the alone time? And the x-rated fantasies? Those involve me and him having a very _mature_ fight with grapes and gummy bears (and other snack foods)—and us trying to find his shoes after having buried them in a random point of the extended beach. And playing hide and seek. And tripping over those packing peanuts (don't know where those came from), which eventually end up everywhere from the failed attempt of snow ball fighting. And figuring out how to program the new giant remote that we'd lost for the majority of the vacation. And—

Ah! Holy God! _Eureka!_ My going on and on has given me an awesome idea for another chapter! _YESH!_ Yay! No dead, boring chapter for me to write now. You guys are going to love the next one.

Sorry for the ranting. And review. Please. **~heflo**


	19. Reunions, smoothies, and flashbacks

**Disclaimer: heflo owns absolutely nothing. Not even the keyboards she types so labouringly over. **

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It was early midmorning as the group stood in absolute dead silence. Minutes that seemed like hours had passed since the awkward meeting had commenced. Katara had only expected Sokka and his family. She'd overlooked that. When her brother said 'we' the night before, she'd just assumed…

Toph and Aang were here too.

Zuko walked downstairs just as the waterbender had frozen, and was staring at Aang with a look of fleeting horror and shock. Sokka was hanging Suki's purse on a rack, and Toph had just waltzed further inside the home, ignoring the annoyed look of Suki sent her way.

Not realizing just yet they had company, Zuko yawned loudly and everyone looked up to see him carrying down an armful of dirty laundry. And no shirt. Just a pair of snug black jeans that was defiantly a size too small was all he had on. His skin was dry, but his hair dripped.

The way he pulled the aura that naturally clung to him… well, it left absolutely no room for imagination even if you tried.

When he stopped yawning and noticed everyone, Katara heard Toph call from the kitchen.

"I was promised a smoothie, Ice Princess! When are you going to get in here and make me one?"

And no one really knew what to say.

A few awkward seconds later, Suki got fed up with it. She picked up Kayla with one arm, and tugged Katara with the other, yanking the waterbender without any protest whatsoever. Katara was still wide eyed, and the lack of caffeine was painfully obvious**. **She tripped over her feet as she was yanked, and only caught herself by grabbing onto Suki—who had to grab onto a wall corner for leverage.

The Kyoshi warrior demanded Sokka and Toph follow behind. And with the edgy aura sparkling around her, the two scrambled to their feet and followed behind, leaving Zuko and Aang to talk things over.

--------------------------

Sokka could only guess what the glowing meant. He had to look away, to conceal his knowledge of what had just become apparent to his eyes. He'd just looked from both his sister and to his wife, and the similarities had _dinged_! in his mind.

Both had that same kind of…glow. One that Sokka had seen before. One that he knew exactly would result in.

And he knew better than to stupidly be the one to bring it up. Toph or Aang could possibly get away with mentioning it to either of the two women. But he and Zuko? He'd have to discuss that little detail with his brother-in-law-to-be after he and Aang were done discussing things. Zuko would thank him later once Sokka dropped the hint to keep his mouth shut and let Katara be the one to tell him on her time—not vice versa.

Yeah. It would be best if he pretended he didn't know what that radiance meant.

He hastily jerked open the massive fridge and pulled out two oranges, tossing them to his wife as she'd snapped at him to. Inside the fridge were many different things to chose from, many compartments, many shelves, drawers, and inner chambers Sokka could get used to seeing. Ahh....it was a beautiful sight this complex fridge made. So...many...possibilities for Katara to cook with.

His blue eyes danced with excitement as his mind toyed with all the possibilities those foods could combine to become. His mouth watered, and he slyly grinned at the fantasies. Everything he loved, and everything he'd always was curious about could be possible. His little sister would be in the kitchen for a while, so....

Suki was furiously dicing up other various fruit as Katara was setting up the blender, yawning. Toph's contended grin spoke volumes as Sokka looked around.

The kitchen was decorated in neutral tones. Defiantly masculine in design and decorating—but a touch from feminine hands blended in with casual, moderate hints. It was truly a work of art the way the textures and tones collaborated. He probably knew about a dozen and one people that would salivate at the chance to even stand here and imagine the sceneries that could be dreamed of about inside this master kitchen. It was larger than an industrial size kitchen and—oh, hell bells. It was more stocked than the kitchen Katara used to work at! Speaking of space…

Every staff member from Katara's old job could probably _live_ in the kitchen and the dining room of Zuko's villa comfortably. With room to spare!

He'd been here several times before. But…he still had to get use to the wealth. It wasn't everyday a man could claim his sister was engaged to the fire nation's heir. The one with so much money that he could probably buy the water tribes several times over.

The one that was supposed to be… _dead._ Like not breathing and/or responsive enough to have made his little sister pregnant.

In any case, Sokka had immediate plans to get Zuko to get barbequing after this was all over. Not when it was _all_ over. More like when he and Aang smoothed things over and got things completely straight. Sokka would get a full course feast now that Katara was in a good mood and she had nothing better to do. It had been_ months_ since he'd had any of Katara's cooking, in any way or form. Forget waiting… his stomach was roaring and clawing and his eyes were dilated with hunger.

He really missed her food. His wife could cook, just…no where's in the same league as his little sister. And Suki agreed, thank Yue, or he would have been in trouble for ever mentioning that.

After his sister had slid into borderline depression, he'd had to morn beside with her. She'd lost Zuko. Sokka had lost her cooking.

If Zuko was the reason she had gotten better right with everything he'd eaten of hers before he'd disappeared…he'd do anything to keep this now that he had it.

Besides, it wasn't every man that could claim that he didn't have to pay for food that even the spirits would beg for. He could have anything—within his sister's reasoning—and all he had to do was eat it all before she could stop him!

And it also wasn't everyday a man could claim that his sister wasn't marrying the powerful man for his title _or _his wealth. She loved Zuko. Katara, his younger sister, master waterbender loved Prince Zuko for…_himself._ Not for his crown, not for his position, not for his money, or even for the connections that would come with their marriage. (Sokka knew it was only a matter of time now.)

His little sister had chosen Zuko without ever knowing who the Prince was. Somehow, he'd hidden from her and wooed her all in the same timing. Had gotten her to fall in love with him without ever flashing the Prince Card. He played by the rules, and did it the routine way.

_However_ the routine way was, in this case.

Sokka was just sure that it hadn't been overnight. Or with Katara (or anyone else) knowing just who exactly the firebender was.

Unlike most people, Sokka was perfectly alight with that, too. Zuko as a brother-in-law couldn't be that bad. He made Katara happy, didn't he? Honestly, if the man could handle her _and_ make her happy, Sokka was fine with that. The water tribe warrior was even impressed by this.

Shit. He even liked the guy. Zuko was genuinely likeable. He'd make a great brother-in-law.

Sokka hoped, if not anything.

Sokka had grown up on the poorer end of the scale. He'd been in better and he'd been through worse. He wasn't jealous of anyone's wealth or possessions. It didn't matter much to him that his sister's lover was on the other end. That factor wasn't tempting or even an added bonus.

But it _did_ mean Sokka was due for better presents when the time came.

The guy loved his sister. What more could Sokka ask—beg—the spirits for? If Zuko was willing to go as far as what he'd done yesterday for Katara. Well… Sokka respected the man even more. Only a man in love would go the lengths that Zuko had to disguise himself yesterday. And all the other things to insure his disguise wasn't see though.

That had to be one of the most memorable activities he would ever remember assisting with. Giving a hand with the disguise was a blast. Sokka himself had ensured Zuko hadn't run anywhere without altering some key assets.

It was a good thing his line of work dealt with the things they'd needed for that stunt. The makeup, the contacts, the hair dye, the fake beard, the wig, the prosthetics, and the body suit hadn't been all that hard to get a hold of. Not at all.

No, seriously. Sokka had only had to ask for them, and he'd gotten them. It had been as easy as that.

It was the finishing touch that was astounding. The stench of over powering proportions .

It was also a good thing his memory was good. Or else he would have never remembered the stink bombs he, his dad, and Uncle Bato had made. It was amazing his sense of smell wasn't permanently damaged from all the times he'd whipped up the stench from people's sensory hell.

Zuko hadn't complained once. Not when he was undergoing the transformation; not when Sokka had insisted he drench himself in the stink bomb concoction. (He'd looked ill, though, if that said anything.) Shit, not even when Sokka voiced the fact that Zuko would have to somehow disguise his voice in front of the press.

Only love could be the answer to why Zuko had undergone all that.

Ah. Yeah, he _completely_ understood that. He'd done some outrageous things for Suki, too, once he thought about it. Most of which he'd repeat if it meant the outcome of the first.

Hell, Zuko could also barbeque better than anyone Sokka knew. He honestly didn't know anything more ironic either.

Back when Zuko had just been Katara's boyfriend, things had been so much simpler. He'd watched when the occasion arose how his sister and Zuko acted around each other.

He'd even had Toph monitor than a few times. (And _no_ that is not to be confused for stalking. He and Toph were merely…making sure… Katara wasn't going to be taken advantage of by anyone.)

The firebender _seemed _happy. Katara _was_ happy. Sokka honestly couldn't see anything wrong with that. Katara deserved this. For everything she done, she more than deserved this. Sokka was relieved that it had happened too. The _it _was Zuko in this case. For a while there, he'd been worried that his sister might never marry. Hell, it had taken her longer than he'd expected, but she was finally heading down the path towards tying the knot and getting a rock on her finger.

_Prince _Zuko was supposed to be dead. He had _supposedly_ died, instantly, in a head on collision only a few miles away from Omashu, leaving Katara emotionally in shock. Sokka had watched helplessly as his sister had grieved. It hadn't been pretty. He had tried to help her, but—hell, do _you_ want to get in between anything and an emotionally unstable waterbender in morning? The same one who had admitted how she'd saved Suki with_ bloodbending?_

Sokka didn't really care to find out about that ability either.

He loved his sister, but there were some things he couldn't help her with. Even though big brothers had an unofficial chart of things they were to do, he couldn't even help her. There were things that weren't his place to step in for someone else. He couldn't comfort her when she wouldn't accept it, and he couldn't help her get back on her feet when she didn't even want to be touched.

With everything she done after their mother had been murdered, it wouldn't have been anything for him to step up and take care of her for once. He would have finally gotten to pay her back for everything he hadn't deserved. All the house work…all the meals….all the times she'd covered for him…all the times in high school she'd distracted their Gran Gran so he could sneak out with his buddies and/or Suki…all the times she'd lent him money…all the times she'd secretly pushed Suki closer to him—(which he wasn't supposed to have any knowledge of)….all the times she'd taken care of him and later his daughter…

That list was embarrassingly longer than he cared to take notation of at the present moment.

He hadn't known Zuko like Katara had—so how could he grieve with her? He'd only seen the man here and there. He didn't know much more than name to face and that he was one of Katara's co-worker's at her old job.

He'd tried to be the shoulder she could lean on, but she wouldn't allow it. He'd tried to help out, but she wouldn't accept that either.

She'd actually pushed on by herself. Sokka had watched with amazement—and horror—as she hid her grief and kept living as though nothing was wrong.

When Suki dragged him from the computer to see the news, he'd gone from pissed from being interrupted with his game to blank as he heard Zuko had been pulled, dead, from his car.

He'd learned just whom exactly his sister had become involved with, and had gone into panic mode. Katara had spent the night over at Zuko's several times. They _had_ been dating. Sokka was positive they'd spent as much time together as he and Suki had been—if not more.

Zuko was the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. It didn't matter if he was banished—he was still royalty. Any kids he had would be royalty despite the present moment.

The Fire Lord would want to know about his grandkids if they were to suddenly appear, wouldn't he?

When the news broadcast had come on, and things had officially changed, Sokka remembered Zuko saying he'd has something special planned the last time he seen him. The last time he'd spoken to the man before the firebender disappeared, he'd said: _"I know this is probably the wrong time to say this, but…I'm taking Katara to a little special place tomorrow. Just the two of us. We'll be gone for tomorrow, and we probably won't get back until sometime around three the next afternoon…"_

_One…Two…Three…_

_Sokka's instincts exploded as his thoughts tied together lose ends._

"_Suki! Didn't he and Katara go to—"_

_Suki, who was the calm one, had stepped in between him and the door and held her arms out as he tried to reach for the door knob._

"_Sokka, you can't just burst out and look for her." His wife said with watery eyes. Even a few days after giving birth to their daughter, she was radiant. Abet extremely tired and hormonal._

_Sokka frowned, and tried to get around her. She wouldn't budge. So he picked her up under her arms and moved her out of the way. All she did was tear up further, but she didn't yell at his decree as he opened the door or fight back._

"_I love her too, Sokka. She's my best friend and my sister-in-law. But think about what you've just heard on the news! Zuko was banished. He—"_

"_Could have very well made my sister pregnant!" Sokka roared, but the baby didn't wake. "He could have just made it where our lives would be—"_

"_No one knew he was going to die. _Katara _especially. Now, let's calm down before we go find her. She said something about going to visit a friend today. I don't want to have to knock you out, Honey, so just…let's figure out what we're going to if she doesn't know and we have to be the ones to break the news to her."_

"_Get her a pregnancy test, that's what." He murmured._

_Suki hit him, hard, and he recoiled, looking at her with surprise._

_Her voice was soft, but it was angry and hurt. "I can't believe _you_ just said that! Of all people… Sokka, you can't do _that _to her! We are the _perfect_ people to go and ask if she went and messed up!" Her eyes flashed. "She never said a thing when she could have very well have said something we messed up. She knew before we did that I was pregnant. She _knew_, and she didn't say a thing against it. Now here you go trying to…"_

_Her hands were limp as she forced herself not to reach out to her lover, and the strong Kyoshian tried to swallow back the tears. Damn her hormones, she thought bitterly. "Katara didn't deserve this, Sokka. God, this shouldn't have happened. She didn't deserve to lose him. She didn't even get the chance to even really know him. Poor Katara. It could have been anyone, but... just not Katara. She's…" She looked up to look at her husband._

_  
"I can't imagine life without you, Sokka. What's going to happen to the strongest person I know when she hears she just lost the man she loved?"_

_Sokka immediately held his wife as she started crying. Once he realized what she was saying, he knew she was right. Though he hated to admit she was right._

It had been the equivalent of betraying Katara (or just plain stabbing a blunt spork in his heart and cheerily twirling that bloody plastic utensil around and around), but it hadn't been his place to step in. He'd been there when she'd allowed him, but he knew she still wouldn't have let him or Suki know how badly she was hurting.

But Aang, on the other hand… it had taken almost everything Sokka could do to hold the dumbass back. Sure, he could sympathize like a good person, but crapers! Stupid airbender had wanted to 'save' her when it wasn't his place. Sokka had yelled his head off at his tattooed brother. He'd had to explain why Aang couldn't help Katara now over something that she couldn't be helped grieving with. They could stand by her, but stepping in? That was a no-go.

It was then it dawned on him _why_ Katara's apartment had been blown to smithereens not too long ago. He had known for sure it had been Katara the two had been arguing over, but now he had a pretty good idea over why.

Only the waterbender could have induced something the both of them to get that angry over. Especially if it had involved Zuko. Aang hadn't liked the guy much to begin with. Toss up in the fact that the firebender had been dating their sister... well....

Yeah. You get it.

Seriously, the way neither of them would talk about what had happen, it should have been obvious.

Once after consulting with Toph for confirmation, Sokka had exasperatingly trudged to his fridge and pulled out the six pack of beer. He'd been completely right. Fuck. Had he been there, he was certain he would have been involved too.

He'd never gotten to even the first beer either. Suki had walked in, and from there… Hell. Absolute hell.

Not literally. Just…_damn_ his wife had looked good in that tight little black number.

And now you can see why he'd never gotten to drink that first bud light.

Now, no more of that subject.

As far as he was concerned, his sister had found her true love. Katara and Zuko were to live happily ever after. They'd make Sokka an uncle and have many kids. And that would be it. Problem solved, solution found, end of discussion.

But…there were the few issues that had to be worked out sooner rather than later.

Zuko's will had been found—though it had been extremely hard to decode and trace—and Sokka had accompanied Katara to see the transitions carried out. The Prince had had his stocks under several alias, and surprisingly, no one had asked about Lee's reason to transfer all his money to his friend. The banks hadn't inquired anything other than the will and a key phrase. Zuko had even gone as far as to see that Katara and the firebender's uncle had been the only two in the will. With his sister and the aging firebender in the bank office, they'd seen the transactions carried out before their eyes on state of the art technology.

And Sokka's jaw had dropped once he saw the numbers that would be divided.

It wasn't everyday a man could claim his sister was an heiress either. Or that she still worked because she didn't want anything to look out of the usual.

It had been a fact that she loved the firebender that had Sokka contemplating if he and the man should discuss his sister's care or not.

But Sokka could see it. The look. He knew that look. The look brought in the gold when it revolved arounf his orignial question.

It was the one he and his wife had. It was without a doubt no in his mind that he would _not_ have to speak with Zuko about that. He didn't have to. The look was something only someone who was familiar with it could recognize.

Sokka eyes had widened as he and Zuko had been riding to his sister's apartment.

"_I won't lose her again." _The firebender said tersely. He looked ridiculous, but the fierce stare evened that out._ "I lost her once, but…" _His hand shot out, and Sokka cursed. It was engulfed by flames. White fire. Not red, nor yellowish/orange, but _white_ fire.

Sokka closed his eyes, and let that memory fill his head.

"_Holy _Mother! Zuko,_ put that out!" Sokka barked, the car jerked right and the people driving the van honked rude things. "Stupid, this stuff is…" flammable? They hadn't exploded yet. The car hadn't entered the transaction into flying car parts. And he didn't see any lights…_

_A minute later: "Sokka, you missed the turn." Zuko chuckled, though surprisingly, it wasn't forced despite the situation. He let the fire dance smaller and smaller until it winked out of existence. He let his hand drop down to his thigh, but it had become tightly clenched._

"_There are _so_ many names for you running through my head, dumbass." Sokka growled, but grinned. "You owe me for this."_

_Zuko shrugged. "Anything for Katara."_

_Sokka turned around the first chance he got. "So… isn't there something I should know before we do this? Like, say… I don't know… Like for example—"_

_Zuko blurted, "I want to marry Katara. I love her. I'm willing to answer anything you want to know."_

_Umm…Ah. Well. Alright. Er…_

Yeah. That was something Sokka would always remember. The point of that being…Zuko was the type of man that was entirely serious. The measures he taken so no one had recognized him…

Sokka had no trouble with the answer to that series of questions. Zuko had said it himself earlier. Katara was worth everything. She was his top most priority. He was a firebending master. He was the Blue Spirit. He had earned every cent of his millions - or billions? - with honest work. He was a Prince, for Yue's sake. He had a good head on his shoulders. And he was a gentlemen (as far as Sokka had seen).

So… should he have anything against the guy?

The fact that Zuko was completely enraptured by Katara was sorta humbling. A firebending Prince and a waterbending peasant. Sokka curiously fiddled with the thought, but decided against it. How the two had fallen in love with each other wasn't his business. And neither was it his place to blurt out any questions involving Katara's glow.

The same one Suki had about her too, once he glanced back up again.

Oh, damnit. One hormonal woman was a handful—but two? He was used to the monthly PMSing, but...double pregnancy? That was just evil. These next however many months were going to be sheer hell. The mood swings…the cravings…

Well, at least Katara would be cooking more, he thought halfheartedly. She always cooked more around her time of the month. So since she was pregnant... and Suki would be letting him off of the healthy food plan for the while...

He could deal with that as long as that was the case.

"So…" He tested the waters slowly. "How long do you think we've got until something bad happens?"

Yes, he meant that for multiple meanings and purposes. He knew Toph would catch a hint, if not the entire message(s).

"Forget that, Sokka; there are more important things in this room. Like my smoothie. And…" The earthbender sighed, kicking up her feet on the table. She dropped what she was saying and went back to answering his question. "Well, considering… who knows?" Toph nodded, and shook her head as she shrugged, giving him an apologetic look. "You know, Sokka, it's a good thing my house is a few hours away. You can come visit anytime, buddy. Aang and you can hide with me until someone drags you two back."

"Huh?" Katara and Suki blinked, a puzzled look adorning their features.

Yes! Toph _did_ get it! She'd been good at things like that ever since he'd met the earthbender back in high school. Sokka relaxed a tiny bit, and wondered why the hell the other two people in the room where oblivious.

Wait…_were_ they?

Sokka sat down on one of the barstools, leaning backwards and balancing without a whole lot of conscious effort. His shorts rubbed against the side of the counter, but he didn't notice that the zipper of his pocket scratched his arm. And since he didn't notice, he didn't see the red droplets dewing along his skin.

He was busy thinking of other things now. Like what he was going to do for next Wednesday's show. His act was fairly thought out, but there were a few things he could improve. He knew his lines, and he knew the rules his boss had him set upon. No racist jokes, nor threats or implications against any higher figures of power…. Which was basically it. (What a _strict _boss he had.) Lighting was covered, and the sound guy had already given him a heads up he was taking off, and…

Suki suddenly smiled, and she vapidly brushed her chin length curls away from her forehead with the back of her hand. "Katara, I have some good news for you."

Suki bent down to wipe up a bit of yogurt off the ground, and tossed the cloth back on the counter.

Katara glanced up, and picked up the fruit her friend had been dicing. Sokka was opening another thing of yogurt, and she accidently bumped his hand as she reached to plug in the machine. He paused to stare at the glob of yogurt on his finger, but didn't say anything and just dumped the rest of the container inside the blender. With a lick, he ridded the yogurt off his hand.

"Yeah?" Katara asked, and glanced down. Her nostrils flared, and a sudden thought entered her mind. There could very well be a possibly for something to go entirely wrong if Aang decided to firebend. Though she knew he and Zuko would get along, what if something horrendous happened? Fire was dangerous no matter who was handling it. Or even when the best precautions were followed, what if…?

It chilled her, the things she thought of, but she didn't voice it. "What's the good news?"

With all the ingredients for the smoothie Toph demanded for in the blender, Katara capped the lid. Toph groaned, and Katara's smiled fell. She looked up, and pressed the blender to start. The whirling sound of the blades dicing helpless fruit was strangely therapeutic.

"Katara…you know I hate Suki when she does this, right?" the earthbender quoted herself from many years before. Back around the post high school days to be exact.

She knew that response. The last time Toph had said that…

Oh, _crap…_

Suki beamed, cleaning the knife and the counter. "While the guys bond, we are going to have so much fun—"

"Why drag me in this?" Toph moaned, covering her face with her hands. She looked miserable, and rightly so. Katara knew she had every reason to be if it was what she thought it was. "Katara save us! I hate it when she gets all 'let's have some girlie bonding time!'." She gave Suki the birdie, lips thin as a memory danced before her unseeing eyes. "Shit, it's going to be exactly like last time! I swear, she's trying to kill us before—"

"_NO!"_ Suki shrieked, pointing the gleaming knife at Sokka. He back up slowly, setting down the unopened tin of chocolate frosting, holding his hands up in surrender. Katara rolled her eyes at her brother, and shook her head.

"Look, Suki." Sokka said impatiently, snatching the frosting back up after a second of thought. "I'm paying for it. If I want frosting, I'm going to eat the damn frosting. If you still want that spa day, you better lighten up on the dieting."

-------------------------------------------

Zuko stood up, shutting the doors, and locking them inside the large living room. The walls in this villa were so thick it was sound proof. When he'd been refurbishing, he'd assured to get certain attributes adjusted before he'd moved in over four years ago. Getter the walls soundproofed had been one of them.

Even with Toph's sensitive hearing, he knew even she and her earth bending wouldn't be able to pick up anything he and Aang spoke about in this room now that the doors and windows were closed..

The Avatar had just taken a seat in the recliner. The last time Zuko had seen the kid, he'd been glaring at him with intent to kill. Now he looked open and like a curious third grader, looking up with curious eyes as if to say: "Crap, is this going to be an evil teacher or not?"

Zuko didn't really know what to say, so he just waited.

"I was told I was meeting my firebending teacher today." The airbender started. His brows furrowed, and Zuko watched as he took his beanie off. His bald head reflected the illuminating light pouring in behind him, and he looked like there was a halo surrounding his tattooed head. "So…I'm guessing that would be you."

The firebender nodded. He _really _couldn't think of anything to say. As in, his teeth were clenched, and he couldn't even get his mouth open. And his mind was uselessly blank.

Stupid automatic reaction, he silently cursed the in ground response.

The Avatar swallowed uneasily at the silence. "Then…how are we going to do this, Sifu Zuko? Are we going to start today?"

That… was it? It was that easy? He'd become the Avatar's teacher just like that?

Damn, Zuko thought. He'd thought this was going to be harder. He could have slept better last night had he known that. He closed his eyes, and sank into the couch. With his elbows on his legs, Zuko let his hands dangle. The circlet on his arm drew his attention. He'd slipped on old black shirt that was a bit tight on him when he'd snapped awake from his semiconscious tread down the stairs. The only thing on his mind was his waterbender.

Her family and the earthbender at the bottom of the stairs had caused him to snatch the dirty shirt up and tug it on.

Yet another reaction that had been ground into him at the ripe age of six.

The shirt wasn't uncomfortable, but it didn't fit him like it used to. It told him he'd gained weight since a year ago. Muscle weight, he knew for sure. His gold eyes lingered on the heavy gold arm band, and he slid it off for a minute. At least _that_ was adjustable. This was something he'd kept for sentimental value. True, it was gold, but there was a story behind this piece of precious metal

He exhaled, slipping it back on. "We'll start today. But... there is something I request of you."

For the next several minutes, the two of them discussed something that wouldn't be shared with the others. At least not the females of the group. Sokka, maybe. Jet, too, once the plan was leveled out a bit.

Zuko then told him of his story, and then asked what Aang thought of it.

"If you're asking me for your help, all you had to do what come right out and say it."

Zuko rolled his eyes, and huffed. "I did. The point of me telling you my abusive past and the hobbies of my father and my sister was getting to the point, Aang."

"Oh."

So Zuko went on with what he started.

"I wasn't supposed to know this, but dear ol' dad has plans for Sozin's comet. The only reason I know this is because the vents in the palace are screwy and I got lost. I took a wrong turn and ended up overhearing something I probably wouldn't have heard if I—"

"Wait. What? How does somebody take wrong turns in the ventilation shafts? Most of them are pretty direct and what not." Aang asked, trying not to smile.

Zuko bit back from getting angry, and glared. The point went across, and Aang flinched.

"Now as I was saying," Zuko muttered. "Is that Ozai plans on harnessing the power of the comet to start another war. He has plans to completely obliterate the earthkingdom with nuclear bombs and such."

As the firebender went on, Aang's laid back manor disappeared. He tensed, and his smile faded. He went from average, twentyish, easy going man, to serious planner of tactics. Aang voiced his thoughts. It terrified the airbender to imagine what would happen to the world if Fire Lord Ozai was allowed to carry though his plans.

It utterly alarmed Zuko to think what would happen if no one stepped up to stop his father.

"Then we really don't have much longer, do we." He stated rather than asked, rubbing his chin anxiously.

"No, we've only got a few weeks now." Zuko placed it simply. "And I plan to have your training done and to be married to Katara by then."

Aang nodded, as if the last part were as casual as asking if his favorite team had won this last go round or not. They hadn't.

"Well, looks like you have your hands busy."

"You're not kidding," Zuko smirked. "Now, what's the first thing about firebending that you know?"

"Er…. I know how to breathe?" Aang offered sheepishly.

Zuko slapped his face, and muttered something that made the airbender blush.

------------------------------------------

They'd moved outside, and walked down towards where there was no grass or flammable objects. Right now, it was just him and his pupil. Everyone else was inside for the moment.

Though why, he didn't know.

When he and Aang had joined the rest of them, he was pleasantly surprised to smell the aromas he knew too well. Katara's cooking. Zuko had taken in the sight of his lover laughing with her family, and he realized this was how it was supposed to be.

Her happiness, that is. If she wasn't happy, he didn't really think he could be either.

And while he'd tried to help out, she kissed him on the cheek, and playfully swatted him to sit down. He'd tried again after a few minutes, but Sokka distracted him into one of the more hilarious conversations he'd had in a while.

During the wait, he got to know them better. Eventually, he had known he would have to, but now he didn't regret the idea of Katara's family. Now he could see a little more as to why Katara liked these people. If given a little longer together, he'd genuinely start liking them. Not just the toleration he gave them for Katara's sake.

He liked Sokka though. That was a start. He supposed.

Her brother was cleverly interesting. He'd been a major source of yesterday's stunt. Zuko even had a few shared opinions with him over topics that only Sokka would bring up randomly like he had. He was as sarcastic as his wife wasn't. Suki was cheerful, and she was analytical. The pair she and Katara's brother made was a good match. A balance for the other. Their daughter was too young to really catalog. The only real notable thing that Zuko could have seen so far is that she was a waterbender too. And that she seemed to cling to Sokka when given the chance.

Toph—earthbender—was a steady source of quirkiness. She was her own person. An acquired taste, if you will.

Aang—Avatar—was a free spirit. He was a vegetarian. He was an animal person and hated how the world wasted things in general.

It hadn't been out of his way to take notice of these things. The way he'd been raised and the challenges life had forced upon him had made him to where he would automatically evaluate his surroundings and the people in it.

He'd done the same to his lover, to be entirely honest. He would have never expected to come to love her the way first impression went. He'd thought her overbearing. Bitchy and domineering.

He couldn't believe at one time he thought her as self centered. (But in his defense, he almost always thought women were that way after having grown up with a sister so self centered it made Katara look like a saint holy enough to be with the holy of holies.)

The attraction was immense. It had hit him full on since day one. It still did. He'd never willed his self control over anything in this way before. He'd almost driven himself to the point of insanity with lust, but he barely held on to what his honor demanded. At least in the beginning, that is.

In the beginning—before he'd given up and just let her past his carefully built barriers—he'd tried to stay as far away from her as possible. The first few times he saw her, he had been angry not only at the fact that he desired her, but the fact that he didn't _want_ to like her. That she was not only off limits, but that she was everything he shouldn't want.

He'd spied on her after seeing her at a bookstore a little ways from his uncle's house. It had been a few days before she'd received the call her brother had been in an auto accident, if he remembered right. Somewhere before he'd watched her go on autopilot and claw Jet trying to get out the door to reach her brother if he was wrong, in any case.

In any point of the matter, the woman had already been on his mind when he'd been checking up on his aging uncle, and had decided to pause by a bookstore. It had been raining that day. Heavily, in a pelting force. Again. Just like the day before. And the day before that one. It had been raining for several weeks in a continuous downpour.

He hadn't expected to find her there in the same store. Nor had he expected to want to watch her. That was the first time he felt panic of any form in years. Since he was there…and since _she_ was there…

He'd seen no wrong in watching from the shadows for the while. Call it investigating his employee or _whatever_, he just hadn't seen anything wrong with taking the time to see if he could find out more of the woman he would be working with for the time being. She was supposedly going to be in charge of him, so…why not?

Slinking a safe distance away, he pulled his hoodie over his head and always kept out of her sight. And she'd almost spotted him a few times, but he had been prepared. Though it _had_ been a close call after she'd whipped around as the lady behind the counter was handing her the drink she'd ordered.

She liked strong coffee. That had been one of the first things he'd noticed about her that day. The very first thing he'd noticed before anything was that she was drenched. And she deemed perfectly alright with that.

She had excellent taste in books. He'd watched her, and been a bit surprised that she had no romance books in her arms like the rest of the females at a casual day at a bookstore.

And _that _was the excellent part.

He hadn't known why at the time why exactly that had pleased him.

That had also been the first time he'd sketched her. Once she'd settled in a chair with a stack of magazines and such, he'd turned back to pick up two things. A sketch journal and a pen. (He paid for them later.) Sitting down about fifteen feet away, he openly watched her.

She had been so absorbed in the reading material, that she hadn't noticed him. She had been facing him at a slight angle, but she hadn't looked up once in his direction. Not once.

And his artistic side took over and he truly studied her. He absorbed the potential beauty, and just gazed at her for a while. The very air that surrounded her was…unusual. The natural beauty this woman had was something he couldn't remember ever seeing. She was… intriguing. By the way she carried herself, she was confident and sure of herself. But… she hid her form in distasteful, baggy clothes, and her hair was unfortunately bound into a long mass of waves. Contradictory, he supposed.

_Zuko's gold eyes widened as he started to sketch her. Blood rushed throughout his body and his muscles clenched. He was aroused. Stilling, he breathed in, and made himself calm down. With the quiet noise of the book store, he focused on the noise—not the fantasy of noises in his imagination._

_Five minutes passed, and his need was watered down. By only a fraction though. It was enough to get back to his sketch, and because of his ritual mediation that he had mastered, he was calmly detached. His hand moved over the paper, and he recorded the sights on paper. Every little detail in hasty sketching: her hair, her skin, and the outline of her body. The quick flash of teeth when she read something amusing. How she gently chewed her lip and her features slightly turned to an expression of confusion. He drew the chair she was curled up in, and her shoes she'd kicked off. They were strewn inches from her bag and several finished magazines. _

_He drew her sipping her steaming drink, and her savoring it with peaceful bliss. The relaxed attitude of how she spoke with the other two readers sitting closest to her. How she politely declined one's offer for a date. How she went to get another coffee. And …_

_She never did reach the line for the bookstore café._

_Zuko flinched as a resonating crash disrupted the quiet to his right. A small child had run into a display, knocking over the giant pyramid of meticulously arranged books. He'd stopped for a few minutes, watching as she held the small boy, shushing him as he sobbed. It was then he noticed how she transformed. Her demeanor relaxed further, and he caught a glimpse of her expression._

_His arousal grew._

_Damn him if he didn't just lick his lips. He wanted her. He wanted to make her want him. Zuko wanted this nonbender to be his—and he couldn't explain why. He wanted to unravel this mystery that made him so frustratingly confused. He wanted to have a night of mindless sex, and then, he _might_ be able to get it out of his system._

_But… one night wouldn't be enough. Once the limits were back up, he'd crave more. Zuko knew one night wouldn't be enough after that one night was over. _

_She was used to this. By the way she reacted… she was as used to this as he was sketching. But why? He needed to know the answer. Just like he needed to understand why he wanted her and the reason for his attraction to her._

_And he almost always got what he wanted. Just…not this. Not her. He couldn't let her near him anymore. She was a threat to everything he'd managed. _

_So watching from afar was all he'd allow._

"_Shh… It's okay." She crooned softly as the child sobbed into her shirt. "Sweetie, it's alright_._"_

_She'd gone from beautiful to breathtaking. The woman he'd met several days ago wasn't the cold, over-controlling woman in the kitchen from yesterday. She'd become a compassionate creature. Zuko could feel the peace that she radiated from this distance. It was calling him. _

_He was suddenly completely aware that the attraction to her was _that_ powerful._

_The little boy couldn't have been any older than two, but yet, Zuko felt jealous. She'd calmed the small boy, and a few minutes later, his mother had come frantically looking for him. Seeing her son laughing, the other woman relaxed. The woman was plain compared to Zuko's employee, but he noticed something similar to the both of them that wandered in his mind for months._

He _still _didn't know what that brief similarity was.

That day would be fresh in his mind for years. He had been truly shocked that she'd never noticed him. He'd filled several pages of that journal that day with her, but she didn't ever _notice_ him right there. She'd stretched—he sketched that. She paused to pull of her iPod and turn it on, a smile curling playfully on her full lips—he sketched that. She laughed at something he couldn't remember—that too, he sketched.

And when he left, he stayed there, his imagination playing out other everyday scenes.

He sketched those too. That sketch book eventually was completely filled, yet it had taken a while.

After that day, he found himself wanting to see more of her. His turmoil over wanting her and not want her was a confusing as anything he'd ever known. He wanted to see her reactions and how she worked. He didn't want to succumb to that want. He wanted to understand how a creature this desirable came to be. He didn't want to be drawn by that want either.

As he spent more time with her, he began to know her better. With every brush of skin, his desire had grown. With every prolonged touch, his lust had gathered. With every minute he'd smelled her perfume, he'd inwardly snarled.

It was only extreme self control and love that had held him back.

Sure, she could have a nasty temper—and yes, she could and would hold grudges, but she had a pure heart and an automatic sense of filling the void Zuko had unwittingly tried to hide from her. He'd tried his hardest to stay away from her in the very beginning, but he got frustrated. Frustrated as hell at why he was so enthralled. So captivated.

And after that incident in the bookstore, he gave into temptation. He gave up trying to act as though there wasn't chemistry. Back when he held her the first time in the arena, he'd given up entirely and just went along with it. He wanted her.

He could have cried out in relief that she hadn't rejected him like he'd thought she might have. The sudden embarrassment that he wasn't the only person that involved with whatever they'd had at the time had hit him, and he'd drawn back. If she hadn't of pursued, he would have stopped. He wouldn't have returned to his restaurant while she was there. He would have avoided everyplace she was, and hole away until the shame left and he was safe to venture back without the monster inside of him sniffing for the waterbender.

Then he understood. He couldn't tolerate that kind of life. Everything in his life had been withheld from him in one form or another. Why her too? It was when he realized he _could_ have her that he hesitantly stepped on thin ice. He exposed himself just to have a chance at a fairy tale. Love.

Agni, he sounded like a love struck fool.

Oh. He was.

His thoughts wandered back to the present.

They'd all eaten lunch together—devoured more like it in Sokka's case. Though they had offered to help her, Katara had insisted she make them their meal. Katara had almost singlehandedly cooked a feast for the six of them. In less than ninety minutes, he'd watched as his waterbender had masterfully filled the counters with food.

Zuko would never comprehend how Katara made things taste so good so quickly. He'd even helped her. (Well, more like handed her things she couldn't reach.)

The firebender could see her in his mind's eye, working in his villa. He still could see how she brought out the fullness of the flavors. Her expresions told him exactly the easy determination as she worked. He could see her joy at being with her loved ones.

It only made him appreciate her more. That the fact that she was his made him inwardly howl with joy. He loved her with everything he had, and it was returned. She loved him for who he was. She accepted him as he was. He could see it in her eyes that she desired him. For the man he was.

That was more than he could have ever hoped for. Katara was _everything_ he could have ever asked for in a woman. And his wish had been granted. But…he couldn't allow his treasure to be taken away.

His eyes opened, and he looked around. This place, Zuko had cleared out himself, and had ensured no plants would grow over the soft soil. He'd hauled in an economically safe version of synthetic sand that wouldn't over heat nor allow plant growth.

The same man that had made his one of a kind voice changer had been in charge of this project too. He was a loyal man that Zuko trusted, and even knew as an ally. This man was a true genius. He'd been the brain behind several commonly used items, but no one really knew his name. It was Zuko that ensured that. The man even understood why his personal safety depended on staying anonymous. Zuko had insured this man would be safe from his father and sister before he'd actually given him the money to start his experiments. In return, he designed and made several of Zuko's needed things possible.

Like the 'sand' out in his training field for example. Though sand was bendable, earthbending was impossible here. It might appear to be sand, but that was it—it wasn't. Furthermore, Zuko wasn't entirely sure what it was either. He just knew what it was the safest substance to firebend on.

He didn't ever want to be burned again if it could be helped.

"Again." He ordered, crossing his arms over his bare chest. He forced his thoughts back deep inside, and forced himself to concentrate only on what lay before him.

The Avatar to be exact. He stood with his arms by his side, and he was in the middle of a breathing exercise.

A quick intake of air filled the airbender's lungs. He reached up, swinging his arms all in one motion. His exploded in that one motion and flipped. Literally flipped over lines Zuko had drawn and landed in a low crouch, centimeters between the seat of his pants and ground. Without ever touching or going over the square his firebending teacher had drawn in the dirt as his perimeters.

It was good. But Zuko knew he could do better.

"Are you sure I'll be ready when the time comes?" The Avatar asked him in a low tone, standing to his feet, stretching.

Zuko threw a fire ball at him. Aang dodged, twisting into a moderate stance, sweat lightly beading on his forehead.

The Prince swore. "Fuck, we'll both be dead if you're not. In the end, Katara's safety depends on whether you and I can pull it off. The _world's_ safety depends on you doing something about my father."

Aang slid out of his stance. He smoothed the ends of his gray shirt, and cracked his knuckles. "How long till we leave for—"

"Let's just focus on whipping your ass into shape, alright?" Zuko snarled, his demeanor flashing into harsh commander in a split second.

"Yes, sir!"

With that, Aang yanked his shirt off and threw it outside of the sandy field, jogging back just in time to jump out of reach of Zuko—who'd just become savage fighter.

-----------------

_A while later…_

And what a spa day it was.

Except for the fact that it was going better than Katara and Toph had envisioned it, tragedy had been unofficially written in a warning sign all over since they walked into the extravagant building.

Who would have known that things wouldn't have been a repeat of the last time?

Several years earlier had been a horrendous catastrophe. Suki had gifted her and Toph with a gift certificate to one of the most legendary spas in the country. The two of them had reluctantly gone with much of Suki's prodding. Both of them had ended up hating it.

Why?

Katara's reasons: Sexual harassment. Terrible foot rub. The lady that had been in charge of their lunch had given them inedible hockey puck shaped…_things_. And having hot oil spilled on her back—which burned her.

Toph's reason: A run in with her mother. (What a bad memory, it was too.)The foot…torture. The pain that the massage lady dealt to her limbs. And choking on charred fruit tart. Or whatever that lump had been.

All in all, they'd left only a little while after arriving. Half of the spa resort had dealt with an enraged waterbender and the other half had dealt with a furious earthbender.

And like the arena they'd brutalized, the spa resort had a terrible...er…*cough* remodeling._ For free!_

This time, so far was better. In fact, it was better than enjoyable.

Two days ago, Katara had kissed her husband—yes,_ husband_—goodbye at the airport. She still couldn't believe she'd gotten married. That quickly. Or that easily. Or that… joyfully. Blissfully. Romantically.

The ring on her finger was a modest one. It was a band that was simply gold, no stones or apparent decorations. Just a band of gold until you looked to the engravement on the inside.

_Yours forever, Katara. Zuko._

His ring was embellished on the inside too.

_Only yours, Zuko. Katara_

It hadn't been Suki who'd dragged her to go shopping for their wedding either. Iroh had. The planning… the preparations…the events that all were grouped had been taken care of by her new uncle. He'd gifted her and Zuko with his blessing as well as handling the entire process. It would have been a nightmare for the waterbender to try to do it alone.

What had even surprised her was when he handed them a wrapped book about a palm's height wide as they were leaving for their honeymoon. She would never forget how embarrassed she was when Zuko opened it and her new husband's eyes lit up. It was a book entirely on....Oh, La, this was embarrassing....I think it's sorta understandable if you know Uncle Iroh and his plots for grandchildren.

It had been a small wedding. But it was legal. Her family—Sokka, Kayla, Suki, Aang—were there. Zuko's family—Iroh, were there. Their friend, the one that knew that Zuko was alive was present. Jet.

A fire sage—one that Iroh had known for years and he trusted—had married them as well as signed the official documents alongside her and Zuko. The man knew what he was doing, and even bowed to them. He knew who Zuko and his Uncle were. And he knew what the risk was if it was found out what he'd done if the Fire Lord or his daughter found out.

Banishment.

Or death.

The marriage was legally recognized by both fire nation and water tribe. She and Zuko had been married on one of the most beautiful beaches in the Earth Kingdom. And by law, it was as legitimate as weddings went.

She was now a princess. By title only. Zuko was still in hiding. She wouldn't be boasting this anytime soon. And unless things changed, no one would outside of their inner ring would ever know her new title by marriage.

Wait. And Toph. Never forget her. She had caught the bouquet at the wedding. And turned a laughable shade of red as she'd tried to shove it in Aang's hands.

Back to the spa day.

The White Lotus Blossom. Funny as it name was, the price was more than most people could afford with their first car. The wait to get in here was minimum of a year and several months according to Suki. (Who'd actually reserved today's services exactly that long ago.) The treatment was reviewed as legendary.

And several hours into the day, Katara could agree with that.

"_Ahhhh"_ she moaned loudly, and smiled. She'd always loved saunas. With nothing more than a towel wrapped around her, she slouched in defeat. The room was practically empty, and the only people inside were her and her two friends.

The welcoming heat reminded her of another steam filled night. With Zuko. And excellent chocolate. And a hot spring. And a glass of wine. Candle lit...playful banter...and activities that could all be described as the following. Fast, hard, slow, love making, teasing, hair raising, erotic, gentle...

_The waterbender's hair curled in Zuko's hand, and she smiled. She had pulled away slowly, and she glanced back in time to catch the pout. His golden eyes were glued to the screen, and he looked completely focused on the movie. _

_"I thought you wanted a snack." She playfully teased. She rocked on her heels, and she let her fingers curl against her thigh._

_He didn't looked away from the show, but his pout turned into a sexy smirk. _

_"I want a snack alright. How about...." He looked up to the ceiling as if in deep thought. With a roll of her eyes, Katara's smile turned warmer._

_She knew where this was headed. She climbed into his lap, and took his face in her hands. His mouth found hers. Hot. Hard. Wholly possessive. While his hands were gentle and his movement was slow, leisurely, and he switched their positions. She took in a sharp intake of breath as he nibbled her bottom lip, his mouth devouring and wildly possessive. Taking hers. Feeding on her as if he would never get enough._

_Her mouth took his just as hungrily, matching his need. Katara felt desperate with heat, and when her eyes opened, his face had settled into a hard blankness. His eyes told her otherwise. And so did his hands._

_"...Chocolate?" He suggested, not in the least bit winded._

_It took her a minute, but she nodded. Slightly annoyed that she was dazed, and he wasn't, she leaned into the couch and reclined into the arm. The firebender padded from the carpeted area to the kitchen. She pretended to watch the film as Zuko leaned above her a moment following. A chocolate was pressed against her lips, and Zuko made a coaxing noise._

_Katara ignored it, pushing his hand away._

_"I don't think so, Mr. Hot shot."_

_"I thought you wanted chocolate?" _

_"I wanted to finish the movie. You wanted a snack. I was going to go get one for you, but _no_. You then proceeded to....Er.." She flushed from irritation. "Zuko, you interrupted what had to be the hottest kiss we've had today for a stupid piece of chocolate."_

_Zuko quirked a brow. He didn't give up though._

_His voice was breathy as he leaned to where his lips brushed the curve of her ear."So you don't want the chocolate?"_

_Damn. That still sent shivers down her spine. And this was even after the night before! La, she felt somewhat embarrassed to say that his effect on her was instant. She was suddenly angry that he couldn't see that she was annoyed. "No." _

_"Um....alright." The hot breath against her skin disappeared. She tried to focus on the plasma, but it wasn't as interesting as the silent man behind her._

_Eventually, after a few seconds, she glanced up. A slight soreness was tugging as she twisted around, but she did it anyway. Behind her, he had a chocolate between his teeth. In one hand, he had the chocolates, and in the other, he had...well....another chocolate._

_Katara couldn't think of a more breathtaking sight. Literally. She was suddenly alarmed, but she wasn't supposed to be. He had that devilish gleam in his molten eyes, and he was suppressing a smile. Zuko, holding chocolate, looking sexy—as usual. What really made this time different was that this was the last box of chocolate in the house. _

_And she was starting to feel the pull of a massive craving. That and..._

_He was looking at her with a look she found herself giving him. His emotion was pouring through his expression, and her heart swelled. She'd never met someone she'd felt so...loved by. Cherished. Respected. _

_Katara had to look away because of the sudden thought of losing him became unbearable. Abruptly, the fuzzy feelings were substituted for fear. They were here in the living room of the Fire Nation Royal's summer home when people were probably looking for him. He was hiding right under everyone's nose, and he did it calmly. Yet, here she was, trying to pretend that wasn't so._

_Zuko cocked his head, and carefully, he walked back to the kitchen. She heard him mutter softly. Closing her eyes, she listened to the movie half heartedly as the sound of Zuko in the kitchen became more intriguing._

_She gave a squeak as he picked her up. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she looked up, and scowled. he scowled back._

_"I gave you the option of chocolate, Katara. Now," the firebender was carrying her easily. He wasn't exerting much by holding her bridal style. "Like I stated a moment ago. I--"_

_"Zuko, I have a suggestion."_

_"Yes?"_

_"I say we head to the hot springs."_

"_That wish," he said with a quiet laugh, "I don't think I'll be able to grant you."_

_Alarmed, she stopped breathing as his look became harsh._

"_I'm sorry, Katara. I can't wait that long."_

_Katara was carried up to the master bedroom rather quickly after she realized what he'd meant._

Sadly enough, even though she was with her friends, her thoughts were of her husband. Every day she found herself falling a little deeper into love. He was that dream she'd had as a teenager. The man that she could only wait for. For years, she'd watched for him. Waiting. Dreaming. Getting frustrated that he wasn't anywhere to be seen.

And once she'd stopped waiting for him, he'd finally arrived.

La, if only she'd realized it sooner than she had.

The day had started out with a deep tissue massage. Followed by full out pampering. She'd had heaven delivered to her. She hadn't had this kind of treatment, well… since…never. Suki had assured the entire package for the three of them.

She'd have to remember to pay the woman back. Just...after they died and went to heaven from this pleasurable trip.

"You said it, Sugar Queen." Toph purred. Her friend looked at ease, and finally relinquished her air of indifference. "Today's been… nice."

Suki grinned happily, finally relaxing. She'd known they couldn't pull off the apathy for too much longer. Better that they surrendered now then later. They'd enjoy it now as it was intended. With the rest of the day ahead of them, the three of them closed their eyes and the sauna steamed in a pleasing heat.

The rest of the day went by relatively languidly. They were pampered. They were treated like the most important people of the world. The three of them couldn't have asked for more when they walked outside. When the three of them emerged, they were happy. They were rested, thoroughly content, and grinning.

"Let's do that again!" Toph said excitedly, her outburst making Katara look over her shoulder. The waterbender's brows shut up, and she placed a finger in each ear, testing to see if she'd heard that right.

Suki burst out laughing as Toph's smile genuinely faded into a frown, and she flipped her bangs out of her sightless eyes. Her skin was soft with that glowy tint that only true pampering could achieve.

"What? I was being serious!"

* * *

The thing about Katara tripping? I did that do. 'Cept I took down two people, two drinks (and possibly a few fridge magnets--still can't find the damned things either), _and_ a dog trying to grab on to something for leverage. Don't worry - I'm a klutz to begin with. The cousins I tripped on weren't to mad. They just steer clear of me now when I'm in the kitchen. (And around sharp objects.).....And....100th review. ACHIEVED! OMG. Wow, I never expected ADITM to be this popular. YAY! And since I love you guys... Plans to write thank-you fic will most likely be procrastinated until May... or something! ~heflo

Edit: Another thing. **I lost my bet.** A long, long time ago. I didn't even make it over the first week. Sad, right ?Not that it matters anymore to me: I have coffee privileges back! **~heflo :D**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: :( **

* * *

He hauled himself up. Every muscle in his aching body protested as he pulled himself farther onto the concrete. Zuko's heart was beating like a drum. It was pounding and trembling, and his chest was tight. His vision was blurry, and sweat dripped down his forehead. He couldn't spare the energy to wipe it away, so he lay there, winded and grateful to be alive. His head hurt, and his muscles were gathering with adrenaline soaked tension. He was having to gasp for breath, and it hurt with every intake of oxygen that passed in his dry mouth. He coughed, wheezing, and curled into himself while he waited.

Seconds later, a fuzzy outline appeared to his left, and he closed his eyes. Good, he thought. Sokka had caught up with him. His hand rested against his shoulder, where blood dripped from the unseen wound.

It was dark, almost pitch black. His gold eyes could only make out the depth perception of some shadows—but that was a good thing. They needed it this way. They'd had only a little while to get here while the lights were out. With the electricity off, the heat sensitive monitors wouldn't catch either of the two out of place men sneaking in the inner works of the palace.

They'd made it in. He and his brother-in-law were waiting for Aang—his _other_ brother-in-law—to trip the alarms now. Now all they had to do was be patient for the signal and meet up with Jet at check point five—where they could peel off the wet suits and equipment until heading out again.

Sokka was a few feet away from the firebender, on his hands and knees, soaked in sewer water. He was drawing in loud breathes, and he pushed himself to his knees, placing his hands behind his head. The sound of dripping water splashing against the grimy concrete puddled around the both of them.

But it wasn't like they could see the disgusting, inky water. They'd turned off the small bubbles of light—made by the same man that'd made Zuko's voice adjuster—they'd brought with them to save the batteries.

Zuko was still trying to figure out how to breathe normally. They'd just outdone any records for under water sewer diving—while holding their breath _and_ fight the currents. Once he got his heart to slow down to just a thundering tremble, he'd still have to wait a few minutes before conjuring a flame for light.

He and his friend had just swum over a path of drainage pipes, only getting the chance to come up for air when the opening allowed. The currents had beat against him, and he'd almost been swept along into a separate route. But they'd made it. That was all that mattered.

Zuko looked over to the panting man and offered him a weary smirk. He probably looked bedraggled—worse than the time a few weeks back when they'd saved Katara from the press. His black skin tight wear was the same as Zuko's, and the only difference as of now was that there was a long gash in Zuko's. He'd snagged it on rusty metal on the way up the pipes.

He hadn't looked at it yet either. His shoulder hurt like hell, but it was better than being caught by palace guards and given to Azula. That would be unbelievably worse.

He didn't want to be tortured again. Ever, if he could help it. But eventually, he'd have to face her again. It was a good thing it didn't have to be until tomorrow.

He might not have been so calm otherwise.

They were below the palace, getting intimate with the sewers. It was a vast expansive system that stretched from every corner under the city. With the security as tight as it was in the airport, the inner city would only be worse. So they'd gone underground to avoid any run-ins with other human life.

And everyone had opted for safe than sorry. The four of them had split up in three groups. Jet went to check point A, over in the east end of the sewers. All he had to do was slip up through the man holes and find himself in an old servants' wing. Aang was in check point B, inside the palace. His location was more precise—he should be in the wine cellar.

"Have I told you yet that you're brilliant?" Sokka panted harshly in between ragged coughs. "Absolutely brilliant, Zuko."

"No. But…thanks." The firebender said sagely.

Sokka chortled. "You're welcome, Princey."

"Snoozles, if we get out of this alive, remind me to get you whatever you want." He alleged with a hint of gratitude. "A house, a car, anything. Just name it, and you'll receive it."

The other man was starting to breathe better, his breath becoming more even. "Hey, I might actually take you up on that offer, Zuko. Be careful what you promise. Because I will hold you to your word."

"I'm a man of honor. You don't have to tell me that. I keep my word."

"I know." Sokka looked away at into dark tunnel they'd just swam in from, eyes narrowing in sorrow as they adjusted. "That's what I'm worried about."

The four of them had even planned what should follow in step if everything went as planned. A quick toast of wine. Sleep. Food. Their partners. And privacy.

Except Aang. He was substituting the partner for video games. (Poor, _poor_ airbender, the three of them had all thought.)

Zuko had gotten past four airport security check points, and six of his sister's Dai Li agents. Couldn't be said about Sokka though. Stupid dolt hadn't gotten caught by the security,_ or_ by the undercover authority. He got caught accidentally stepping in the women's restroom. _Twice._ In the same airport.

Zuko had worn two different disguises from the earth kingdom to the fire nation's capital. And that wasn't including the changing of his attire at every airport. Or the makeup and the weird applications Sokka had helped him apply with to alter his features.

All Sokka had done was put on clean clothes and zipped up his messenger bag before they'd left their unsuspecting woman behind. Zuko was a bit worried as to how they'd react once they realized the four of them weren't on a fishing trip but on a mission to stop the next global war.

Ooh, he didn't want to think of what his sweet wife would do once she found out he was doing this for her more than anyone else. Despite him loving her feistiness, Katara would murder him, yelling and crying all at once. Knowing her, she'd kill him slowly, with his own swords. Then bring him back to help clean the mess she'd make of her brothers and Jet.

He prayed he either returned to her on good terms or just died an honorable death. It'd be humiliating having to tell his waterbender he'd failed. He didn't want to leave her behind where she was vulnerable, but it couldn't really be avoided. She should be fine, though. Katara was a waterbending master.

His tenseness eased a bit, and he grinned. He was _married._ No matter how short of a time, he couldn't believe it had been so…attainable. Once upon a time, he would have thought this as a punishment. Being married, that is. But it wasn't. Katara was his everything. Sure, they had arguments, and there were the differences in the way they'd grown up prior to meeting one another, but he loved her.

He loved her enough to ensure that this plan was seen through. Even if it ment wearing all sorts of things that make-up artists would be proud to have been a part of.

The fundamental basis of his disguises had revolved around two main set of key features. One included a trench coat, trip pants, and combat boots—involvin temporary hair dye, fake tattoos and piercings that had looked convincingly real. The other one involved uncomfortable shoes, a wig long enough for him to wear a traditional fire nation top knot from past times, and enough prosthesis to give him a scar covering the entire area of his left eye.

He had been an eye sore the entire way since they left the Omashu. He was tired, thirsty, and sick of the cologne he was wearing. But it was worth it. They'd made it.

The entire point of making disguises that stood out so badly was to hide him. Sure, people looked at him, but no one had recognized him. They'd seen the red herring. The things that everyone saw, but couldn't really do much more than offer a glance at and look away. Why? That was the thing—he'd been wearing things that had attracted curious eyes. And because he'd glare right back, and they'd look away. No one said anything, and the authorities had perceived him as someone that wouldn't be of much harm. (Other than the violently bright highlights and the wincing amount of (fake) tattoos, the security hadn't offered him so much as a second glance. They were used to the oddities. And they'd overlooked him.)

They'd been too busy noticing the affects they'd been _meant_ to see rather than the person's using those props as a cover.

Aang had been an old man in most of the airports. He'd had no trouble blending in—unlike Zuko, who'd been stiff and uncomfortable almost the entire time. Aang had had it easy. With his disguise, he'd only had to slur his words, drool and bit, and have that far out look as he hobbled to every terminal and lobby.

Aang had also taken several pictures of the four of them. The airbender had the nerve to say that these pictures would one day be funny for everyone.

"Aang, now's not the best time, you moron." Jet said as Sokka walked in. They'd travel in pairs. Of course, they'd come on the same planes—they just come in a group of three and one. As a lone man that stood stiffly with his earphones practically glued to his ears; and an aging father figure accompanied by his two grown sons, making sure their confused father didn't get lost.

The airport bathroom they were holding hostage was assured for them alone. An out of order sign hung on the door. They'd even snuck the fancy things the airports used for orderly lines past everyone and in front of the men's bathroom.

So far, no one uninvited had come in.

"Nonsense! Katara's going to love these!" The airbender took out his camera, and snapped a picture of the other three scowling at him. They were looking sideways over to him from by the wide, shallow sinks, dismayed and somewhat annoyed. The airbender snapped another picture, and grinned. He'd gotten all four of them in the last picture—the reflection of the mirrors and the angle had been perfect.

"You've got to admit, you guys. We actually look like what we're supposed to. I look like an old codger," Aang's amusement was growing, and his voice completely betrayed his age from behind his disguise. Some old man he sounded like—his voice was excited, and filled with laughter. Not that that part couldn't be in any age...it was just that Aang sounded more like a collage kid than anything.

"Zuko looks like a punk," He gestured to the firebender, who had a wad of paper towels in hand. The fire bender was clean shaven, and he was scrubbing away the makeup he so very much hated. "Or…Goth? Anyway," He dismissed the confusion of what the firebender's current disguise classified. "Sokka looks like a stiff business man with a stick up his butt, and Jet looks like a sex symbol."

"But he isn't even—"

"I take that as a compliment." Jet showed his perfect teeth in an award winning smile. "For once, someone else finally agrees with me on that."

Sokka suppressed the urge to snort. For once, he looked presentable. He wore a dress shirt and black slacks. His hair wasn't messy or his normal unkemptness. His shoes were outrageous expensive and polished, his belt stiff—being the first use and all. Even Zuko had to admit his brother-in-law could clean up well. His stature was proud and unafraid. This was a man that oozed confidence, but he underplayed it so the chance of getting mobbed by women didn't arrive. He'd already escaped a few by flashing his wedding ring in their faces. And ducking behind Zuko. The coward.

Jet's attire was plausible. There wasn't much different than his normal attire. Like Sokka, he had nothing to hide. Sure, he may have money, but somehow, even when the press noticed him, they immediately frowned at him and thought, "He looks familiar, but…who is he?"

Aang, of course, looked like a man well past his eighties. His wrinkles had wrinkles, and his age spots had age spots. His bald head was tattoo-free, with sparse, wiry gray hair on the sides of his head. He wore old man clothes, with his shirt tucked in above his belly button.

"Right." Sokka sarcastically rolled his eyes as he helped Zuko change his disguise. "And Katara's going to frame them."

Jet was half way through with the process of changing his disguise. "Never forget your wife, Sokka. Of what I've heard of her, she might want one of those pictures as her screen saver."

Sokka groaned, and shot Jet a middle finger through the mirrors. Jet laughed, half heartedly saluting the pissed off Sokka. "You'd think he's on his period, wouldn't you?" He asked to no one.

Sokka shook his head. Zuko curses loudly, and looked at his reflection. Even he couldn't recognize himself. He tore his clothing off, and washed away the convincing looking tattoos. All it was, really, was a nontoxic ink—though he was scrubbing until his skin was raw getting the stupid ink off.

"Jet, shove it, won't you? When this is all over, you're free to do whatever you want. You lucky bastard. The rest of us have family to go home to." Sokka scoffed. "This is terrible. It's only getting bigger."

Zuko froze. So did Jet. Aang was grinning, and he clapped Sokka on the back with a chuckle. The firebender thought about it for a minute, and glanced up at his brother-in-law.

The light bulb dinged. "Suki's pregnant?"

Sokka nodded, lips thinning.

The firebender's mind blanked and he tossed his shirt. Poor Sokka. Man had two girls to return to when he got home. And one day, their eternal clocks would synchronize, and the poor man would be screwed once a month. And if Suki was carrying another girl…

The thought of PMSing women made him repugnantly snort, trying to shove back memories of his sister and her days of the month.

Zuko was grateful he and Katara weren't expecting yet. He wouldn't be doing this if she was. He might have even thought of just hiding away for the rest of his life while his father conquered the world. He and his family would be safe, and he would be set for the rest of his life.

But…he wasn't that kind of man. He just couldn't stand by and watch as that happened. His father planned for an epidemic. He was going to wipe out the entirety Earth Kingdom and the Northern Tribe if no one stopped him. He could very well wipe out a good portion of the world's populace simply by poisoning the food supply.

And he would. Ozai was just that kind of monster.

That's why he and his most trusted friends were risking their lives for the rest of the world. It would only be a matter of time before the new crops were planted and treated. Then distributed across the globes in mass numbers, no places spared but the Fire Nation. Even then, if Ozai's master plan succeeded, many of the Fire Nation's people would suffer. No one would be truly able to escape the horrendous mutations of fatal poison in any future generations of crops.

It was only a while away until it was too late for anything to be done. So they were doing something now.

Whish was why Zuko was coming back to his mother land. He was going to expose the secret laboratories and the cruelties of his father and his sister. Sure, they might be related by blood, but they weren't his family. His family was Katara and her family—his friends and the close group of people they both trusted. Which wasn't a whole lot either, as he thought about it.

Reaching down, he could have sworn he heard Jet gasp. Sokka started humming along with music echoing in from the intercom.

Sokka stuffed the clothes Zuko tossed at him into the trash bin. There was no use bringing them. They would only weigh the them down, so the clothes had to go. The piercings did to, fortunately. Securtiy check point wouldn't let him through if his carry on held large traces of (supposedly) sharp pointy things. They were _plastic_, for crying out loud. He wouldn't miss them a bit.

The firebender wrapped the fake piercings in a paper towel and chucked it in the trash bin. Good riddance.

Sokka pulled out the next disguise for Zuko, handing it out for the banished prince to take.

And the next transition began.

After that, they'd had three more planes to go through before reaching their destination. The traffic had been terrible. There had been the delays in the airports that he didn't want to remember. The gobs of people in the lobbies…the crappy food he'd shoved in his mouth because he was hungry…the rude taxi driver…

He never had liked airports. Then again, he'd never liked being in a large group of tourists and strangers.

Abruptly, he looked up as the sound of faint sound filled the underground sewer, echoing in the slightest before it faded away. He stopped breathing for a minute, and a chill shot through him. That was just creepy. For a minute there, he'd thought…

It echoed throughout the sewers again.

To the two of them, it was the worst sound ever randomly conjured. Just like a crazed teenager had written this out, sleep deprived, and raging for arbitrariness.

"Maybe just…my imagination." Zuko hoarsely muttered just above a whisper. He shook his head. "Sewer water's getting to my head. I'm hearing things."

"Me too, buddy. Could've sworn I heard someone laughing."

It got quiet, and Sokka's eyes widened as he realized that Zuko had gotten equally still.

"Holy crap, that's creepy. I think it's time we head to—"

The firebender agreed, cutting the man off. "Affirmative. Let's haul our asses and let's get out of here."

With the next minute, they got the hell out of there, wasting no time climbing up the rusty latter to the above world, escaping the childlike laughter the both of them had imagined.

* * *

The beautiful woman hung up her phone, and watched her surroundings. Nothing out of the ordinary, seemingly. But there was. Outside of this uptown out lit, something significantly important had just taken place.

Several of the city's main power lines had been ruined. Not cut, but left in utter ruins. Someone had taken out the lines _and_ the core of this source. The entire system had been burned, and the mangled central controls were a work of a master techie. This was a team effort, not a solo act by the evidence. The steps it would take to tap into the computer system was one thing. To be able to get the timing right, and hit the three emergency trips in secession wasn't capable of just one person. And the only way to be able to know about the secret 'off switches'—so to speak—could only mean it was someone on the inside of the operation.

But who? was the question. This was now her new assignment. To find and dispose of the traitors.

The system was ruined. It wouldn't just take hours to fix it; it might take weeks at the bare minimum. The specific wires and pipes that had been corrupted weren't the public's stream of electricity. No. It was the source that ran into the palace's underground. The secret labs. The Dragon Bone Catacombs needed that power back for the Fire Lord's plan to work—to operate. The labs couldn't run without them. Because if there was no electricity or fuel, the experiments wouldn't be possible to contain for much longer. If the containment was a problem, the scientists would be in danger. And so would the Fire Nation's capital.

These experiments were dangerous. Which was why they were going to be released every _but_ the Fire Nation when the time came. These horrid experiments would wipe out millions once they were activated. And no one would be able to stop them.

Her assignments was to find out why the lab's income of power was shut down. She had two days to figure it out. That was the time limit not of Azula, but of the clock on the wall. That was when the containment levels were released.

Her suspicion was that it was another assassin. Most likely hired to take out the Fire Lord or the Princess. Her suspicions were almost always right, and she knew for a fact that there was little chance of her bring wrong.

Quickly, she grabbed some clothing and went into the nearest dressing room. Officially, she had about ten minutes before she must leave, so she used that time wisely. The clothes were her size, and clung tightly. But it wasn't unflattering. Looking in the mirror, she breathed heavily in boredom. The reflection she looked at was of a beautiful weapon. Quiet literally.

She had the perfect body, and she knew it. She used that to her advantage on her runs. Her _job_ runs, mind you. Her thin figure was natural, and her features only slightly enhanced. Her eyes were a cool gray, and her hair a curtain of black. Her straight cut bangs were loose, and her hair was styled casually. She wore makeup, and her nails were painted black.

The woman tried on several of the clothes, her thoughts lingering. They headed to her past, and she unwillingly remembered in vivid detail. She turned slightly, and gave the outfit a bored look. The material was tailored perfectly. She looked like a model. She _was _a model. Therefore, she really shouldn't expect any less.

Her skin was naturally pale. Flawless. Except for the scars on her mid back, which the clothing covered. The jeans were a little baggy and her heels were buttery soft leather. The black top clung to her like a second skin, and the design was sexy—bordering scandalous. Just the way she liked. It kept people—men—from ever knowing the danger that surrounded her. That she _was _the impending danger. They would be too focused on the sex appeal to notice or even think that she was a choice assassin of the higher class. They couldn't recognize her. The assassin in plain sight.

Her runs where everything was stealing to assassination, to recovering to implanting items, to spying, to seducing. Her preferred weapons of choice were throwing knives, but poison was her second alternative. She was a good shot, and her favorite gun was always with her.

The only evidence she had of any of her runs was the deep scars on her back. Those, she wouldn't let go. Even though it would be practical to get rid of them with corrective surgery, she chose not to. Those were the pleasure marks from the man that she had loved. From the man that hadn't ever uttered much more than rustic sentences , and hadn't loved her in return. Prince Zuko.

She'd always known her downfall would be when she let someone close. And she had. Not intentionally, but it had still happened all the same, hadn't it?

It was Azula who had been behind it. When she was young, Mai had always thought Azula's brother was attractive. It was Azula who suggested she and he become an item. It was then she who forced Mai into a deal she couldn't back out of. One that would set her for life.

Years ago, when she had officially become Azula's lackey—for lack of better term—her first assignment was simple. Seduce Zuko, proverbially tie him down, and keep him out of the way of Azula until further notice.

_That_ had been her first run. She had been eighteen when that had happened. By blood, she was noble, therefore acceptable enough to be a candidate for Fire Lady. Or his girlfriend, if nothing less. People wouldn't think anything if she and Zuko dated.

She hadn't made plans for him to find out she was his leash, nor had she planned for him to disappear. She hadn't expected for the feelings to return when she saw him again years later. And she hadn't planned to have her heart broken when he wouldn't make love with her a few months ago.

Mai definitely hadn't anticipated on being the jealous lover who was no more.

She certainly hadn't planned any chance of him escaping. If she'd had any ideas that the precautions would slip, she would have drugged him further than he'd already been. Then made it where he had to marry her. By getting pregnant with his child. By law—since he was the Prince—they would have been married. By Zuko's honor, he'd grudgingly have to comply.

At the time, she'd come to terms, and had feared Azula enough to do what the Princess wanted. That…and she had liked him from afar for years. When she'd been a little girl forced to play with the Princess, she remembered blushing around him, and thinking of him for hours at a time. A crush, she icily referred to it as.

So, she had become the bait. Zuko was what her assignment had been. The way it should have happened: him falling in love with her, and eventually, he would have proposed. She would have the man she had always desired, and she'd been happy.

But, obviously, that wasn't the way things had happened.

The next time she saw Zuko, circumstances had changed. Years had gone by, and it had been almost that long since she'd offered the Banished Prince a moment's thought. And when she had seen him, her breath had caught in her throat. Her normally in-check emotions had become overwhelmingly confusing, and her thoughts hazy. The normally indifferent Mai had dealt with internal conflict.

_He was bloody. The evident aftermath of Azula was left in half formed bruises all over his naked body. He was dirty and unkempt, and completely desirable. Mai liked what she saw. Not the torture—no, she wouldn't ever wish Azula's wrath on anyone. She enjoyed visually ravishing the way his body had developed since she'd last seen him. He was quiet possibly the most beautiful specimen of male embodiment alive. There wasn't an ounce of fat on him, and his body was honed to perfection. Sized proportionally and well. _

_Zuko was conscious, sitting on a bare mattress in an equally bare room. From her angle, she could see that his expression was blank, but something was off. Something other than the fact that'd he'd been dragged back and beaten to a bloody pulp._

_She watched him for a short while, and was surprised when he started murmuring. His voice had developed to its permanent depth, but it wasn't the rich quality that made her teeth gnash together. _

_It was the mentioning of _her_. He muttered a woman's name, and shuddered. With the smallest of gestures, she'd notice him touch his neck with the back of his fingers. Then she spotted the coin sized mark, older than the fresher bruising on the rest of him that his fingers touched. It was most defitanly a love mark, made by his most recent lover._

She had grown aroused and she had become furious for reasons she didn't even understand. She was angry at him, but…she didn't know why. He'd done nothing to her in the past that she hadn't deserved. He'd done…_nothing_ to her, in fact. Other than give her unforgettable nights and a few gestures that had been expected from the relationship, he'd given nothing to contribute of himself.

Unlike her, who'd given everything she'd had to be with him.

Once she'd seen him, she wanted to turn around and leave. She wanted to look at him forever, and have him ravish her like before. She wanted nothing to do with him. She wanted everything he could offer.

He was in her past, and she didn't want to remember him. She should feel guilty for what she would have done to him, but…she felt betrayed. And she didn't know why.

But… her next mission had been to watch him through the one way glass, and monitor his actions. It had been torture to not be able to come in contact—to have nothing more than a few feet of space and a thin sheet of a transparent, one way mirror amid her and him. It was another test. Azula had only let the first mistake slip because it was her only one. She wouldn't be allowed another, or she'd be eliminated.

Making sure it was safe, she'd dosed his food with a powerful stimulant. This type of stimulate was impossible to become immune to. It heightened arousal in someone until they could do nothing but succumb. It was unheard of to be able to resist. She'd walked in, her every intention to seduce him. But she failed. He wouldn't accept her even when he was drugged. Somehow, he'd been able to resist.

She had stripped him, and even assured his libido was spiked by certain means of drugs, but he still hadn't allowed her that. Zuko had given her a warning by besting her—A.K.A. using his martial arts—and if anything, she could hold him to his word. He never spoke unless he meant something. And he didn't just say something without having a reason. He hadn't changed a bit since their teenage years.

What she still didn't understand was who _she_ was. The girl he wouldn't cheat on, that is. Mai was positive about this. Somehow, it seemed like an unreal thing. The man she had once been owner of, was now owned by another woman. The old Zuko would have had a wild ride of sex with her. As far as she knew, he had been unaware of her deal and her role in his life years ago.

This new version of him was repulsed by her. And that gave her fear. What had changed him that much? He'd once told her she was the most beautiful woman alive, and that no woman could compare.

And she couldn't think of any woman beautiful enough to have changed his view on her. So…what had happened?

Ripping off the price tags, she paid for the clothes by simply tossing several hundred dollars on the counter. She left before she could be given change. She couldn't disarm her thoughts of her obsession over the banished-but-still-very-well-alive-Prince. However, she could move the subject away a little. For a while, that is.

She suppressed her emotions entirely. Her icy, uninterested interior returned, and her mind became the mind of a deadly tool. Every possibility made her feel a little more alive. Not with emotion, but with... she never knew what to call what this sensation was. Her predator's high?

It didn't matter. She had a new mission. Find, and take care of, tie up any loose and/or bloody ends. Problem solved. Next assignment. Repeat.

She might not understand her confusing feelings over Zuko, but she did understand the simplistic views of her current task. The team that was working to find the computer genius would be updating her via earpiece once she turned it on and they found who she was looking for. Clocking in was as simple as putting the flesh colored ear piece in.

She'd stop by the food district to pick up Ty Lee. The woman should be in the south side right now with an acquaintance of hers. Mai distinctly remembered the bubbly woman chirping that it was an old friend from Kyoshi. The leader, to be precise. As to how Ty Lee had become acquainted with such a far off person was slightly interesting. Just not appealing enough for Mai to care.

Moreover, it was only reasonable she had the use of one of the world's greatest acupressure practitioner at her disposable if anything happened. She wasn't that far from there, and she didn't see the point in calling her associate. It wouldn't take long to walk, though she knew she was going to be bored.

So she went. Mai headed there by subway, calmly settling the comlink in place.

* * *

Katara dialed the old mobile phone with a bit more force than she had to. The waterbender had every right to be angry. She had every right to be pissed. She was here alone in a foreign land, her two friends weren't picking up their cell phones, and she was lost. To top that all off, her husband had left her. Not for another woman—no, she knew him. He left her so he could knowingly rush off to step into a deathtrap to martyr himself.

Along with her husband, her brothers _and_ Jet had taken off. After she'd figured out what was going on, she'd thrown herself into a flurry of cleaning and packing. The waterbender had called her two friends and arranged for the three of them to save their men. Idiots.

Zuko had reasonably thought this out, and intended for her to be tucked away safely at their home while he sacrificed himself to keep her safe. She honestly didn't know how to take that. It kept wallowing in her thoughts, being the more primary thing. She was still going on her options before she decided with one and stuck to it. Should be angry? Or should she be humbled? Maybe terrified for his life…?

Nah, she'd not separate that group from one another. Except she still weighed what she was going to do when she saw him.

Voice mail picked up again. The waterbender groaned as she sank to the curb, head in hands. She pathetically begged her phone to cooperate with her.

This wasn't fair. They shouldn't have done this to her. They'd known the consequence, but they'd pulled the wool over her eyes. And it hurt that they had lied to her in the way they had.

All of them. All_ six_ of them. Suki and Toph had run off, leaving her in the busiest district. By herself. Which was just as bad as what the men had done. They knew she was directionally challenged.

The only problem was that it wasn't them that was to blame for them getting separated. They'd gotten separated only because Katara had rushed off after someone that had looked like Jet. It hadn't been. Surprised, the guy had to blink to gather his thoughts.

Almost as soon as she'd turned back, she realized she'd put serious distance in between the restaurant and where she was. Wherever here was. She only had herself to blame, but she wasn't willing to admit that yet.

Gathering her bearings, she decided to meditate. She might as well come down before she did something stupid and incredibly rash, so…why not? She straightened her posture, and started breathing in deeper. Just in the manor Zuko did when he meditated. La, she was pissed at him. At her brothers. At her friends.

She'd chosen a busy place to sit down, and people glanced down at her as they walked past. She tried her best to ignore them. The district ran along both sides of a river walk. Katara focused on the water. The water was clean and untainted. A fountain was beautifully cascading into a miniature waterfall over a good ways away. It was clear even with is it was in the distance. It had to be huge, seeing as it looked to be a foot tall from her angle.

Her breathing became automatic, as she cleared her thoughts. Closing her tired blue eyes, Katara let her fingers curl around her purse strap tightly. It was more of a reflex than anything. The long purse strap rested on the curve between her neck and shoulder, until it ended on her other side. It was her messenger bag—her only luggage that she'd brought.

She couldn't see it right now, her eyes being closed and whatnot, but she concentrated on the water. Letting that be her focusing point, she visibly relaxed. Her fingers flexed, and she knew the water had jumped a few inches higher before it crashed down to the surface, raining down in a curtain unlike the design of the fountain had been intended.

She didn't like calling attention to herself. Ever. It wasn't in her to want to be the direct center of everyone's attention. She didn't mind, but she just didn't really care at the moment. She could be perfectly content just meditating, listening to the crowds and feeling the water flowing in the river walk.

After a while, she gave up. Though this was the first time she'd ever really tried, her meditation didn't calm her in the least. Sure, her thoughts weren't so jumbled, but that said nothing about her emotions.

She didn't know why, but the strangest feeling nudged her. It was a dark feeling, one that dropped down in her belly, and settled heavily. Its tendrils of shadow wrapped around her, and her heart sped up. Something was wrong. Something had either just happened or something was about to happen. She knew what the familiar distress was, but she didn't know what was causing the anxiety.

Of all times….

When she and her family had moved to the earth kingdom from the southern water tribe, her maternal instincts had bloomed early. She'd started taking care of herself and two teenage boys at the age of fifteen. She'd done dishes, laundry, mending the clothes, cooking, cleaning….everything up to helping Aang and Sokka in school work. She'd started her first part time job that year, too.

Come to think of it, she'd been a waitress at that Red Lobster for two years before having to quit. She'd loved it. Her first paycheck had been what motivated her to keep going.

Having had stepped up to fill the position of their mother and caretaker, it was plainly deficit to see why. She'd even taken care of Gran Gran before she'd passed. She took time off of school when the time arose, and she put down almost everything to be there for her grandmother. She'd been nineteen when she'd held her grandmother's hand as the woman died in her sleep. She'd been nineteen when she'd had to officially move out of her care taker's—that term was used lightly here; Katara wouldn't ever had burdened their ancient grandmother with that—house and find a place of her own. (And Sokka's and Aang's…)

Even before that, she'd been taking care of people. And being linked with almost every care giver was their inborn callings and instincts. Call it her woman's intuition, or _whatever_—it had never failed her before. Unlike someone else's instincts in her family….. In comparison, hers were more accurate and reliable to Sokka's.

She was hungry. Stomach growling, she quietly grumbled. A massive craving for strawberries smothered in chocolate struck her. With a giant cup of coffee. So getting up, she followed her nose. She started walking towards again, and wouldn't stop until she'd found the building that smelled strongest of coffee. She needed it, and there was no leeway to argue with her craving.

To begin with, she was already in a well known food district. Many of the buildings were two story—this was an older part of town that had never gotten to the point of being run down. The restaurants had living quarters above the establishments. The architect of the fire nation was lovely. She could even see some similarities here and there to her and Zuko's home.

The plus side was that there wasn't an eating establishment that couldn't be called pleasurable eating. The down side was that the Fire Nation was overly crowded this time of year. It was a national holiday of some sort, and she and her problems weren't exempt to it.

Even if she'd never been here, she knew the layout well enough. Thank La she'd taken a look at the magazine of the food district on the plane. There had been fold out maps that she'd looked at in boredom. Who would have known it would come in handy? Even if she was a bit hazy with the ordinance, it couldn't be too hard. What she did know is that there were several coffee shops nearby.

She cut across a few alley ways, and soon found out why she had them to herself. They were so narrow and cramped—they weren't as wide as she was tall! Compared to the gobs of people on the main street, she'd take this any day if it got her to point A to point B as quickly as it was.

Her footing slipped on a puddle, and she steadied herself before walking on. Certainly, there were puddles. It had rained the day before. Yeah, it was going to be hot. It was summertime in the Fire Nation, wasn't it? She wasn't going to complain about anything. Not even her predicament. Not of having gotten separate from her friends. Not of having her brothers and her husband lie to her. Not of being hungry. Not of having massive cravings for chocolate and odd combination foods. Not even of the fact that she felt bloated and moody a good few days before her period hit.

No, she wasn't going to complain. Because if she did, she knew it was going to be a while before she stopped.

So she thought of the positive things. It was a beautiful day. She was in the Fire Nation, with no one telling her what she could and couldn't do. She was wearing her favorite jeans that hugged her body in just the right way. She had gotten her _entire_ house sparkly clean before she'd left. (Abet, she'd tackled it only because there'd been nothing else to take her frustration out on.) She'd gotten fitted in with Suki's hair stylist two days ago, and was happy with the results. (It had been time for a cut, anyway.) And Jin was watching Kayla. (Suki and she had hit it off not long after they'd met. )

There was a coffee shop calling out her name from beyond the corner, catching her eyes immediately. She could see people walking past the ally way with coffee cups in hand, and this goaded her to go a little faster.

"Miss! _Miss!" _A small voice cried out, and she just had enough time to glance back behind her before a small body tackled her legs. She looked down, and a big brown eyed boy was whimpering, looking up to her once before clinging tightly to her legs.

Damn. This wasn't right. This hadn't immediately registered as strange. She actually caught herself thinking this as normal for a minute. Having random youngsters pop out of nowhere was not normal. Neither was having them somehow singling you out of everyone else in town, and deciding to sob their heart out on your shirt.

"What's wrong, kitling?" The waterbender asked to the small boy in a coaxing tone as he cried. He couldn't be older than five, she estimated. He was dirty, and looked too thin for her liking. He was small, but he shouldn't be that thin. His dark hair unkempt, but she touched the child's head gently, and her feeling she'd just felt peeked. The uneasiness returned, and she let her senses spread out in probing.

"I lost my big brother!" The child said in a loud voice. He buried his face in her shirt, and her sympathetic heart moved. He was an orphan, by the looks of it.

She'd always had a soft spot for them, having almost been one herself.

"Is there anything I can do?" Katara's side swept bangs fell in her view, but she felt the presence before she saw it. Well, hey, it was behind her—but still! And that was all the warning she got.

Her hand shot out. In the span on a few seconds, Katara twisted a guy's arm into a locking hold, gently pushing the small boy out of the way. She'd thought to be protecting him. The little boy let go of her, and she resumed. She firmly twisted the figure's hand a little farther, and the person gasped in pain.

He couldn't tug himself without getting himself in a worse predicament than he was. He tried to kick her legs, but she deflected it simply by twisting his arm further and turning out of the way. With a step, she had his hand up in between his shoulder blades, and his face pressed against the wall.

Little boy tried to tug her purse, and she as she realized what was going on. Her hands were full, so she turned her icy eyes on him. The five year old hesitated, but didn't let go yet. He couldn't get the latch of the purse open. Nor could he get it off of her.

"It's one thing to try it once, kitling." She warned him, and gave him a stern look that caused him to cease. "It would be wise not to do that again right now."

She was already angry, but it whirled into it was hotter and less complex. Then she blinked. Her prissiness wasn't even this bad during her time of the month. Well, that was a given. She was—

She didn't even realize it until her eyebrows shot up. She'd just stopped herself from being an easy pick pocket's target. The little boy and this ragged youth were together. It was just a simple scheme. Her hand tightened, and she winced as the boy winced. This was a discomfort able position to be in, she knew from experience. If he moved at all, he had a good chance of causing himself pain.

She knew better than to keep her money in her purse. There was a lot of things she was, but stupid wasn't one of them.

"If you wanted money, all you had to do was ask." Katara said softly, and pulled out crisp dollar bills from her pants pocket, letting the teen go.

The youth seemed to be in his last year or so in high school. He gingerly rolled his arms, offering her a startled glance.

"How did you know?" The older boy asked. He was gaunt, with old eyes. He'd seen too much. Katara felt a pang of empathy for him. His expression was familiar. Back when the loss of their mother was fresh, that was the same expression Sokka would wear before he was awake enough to cover it. She'd worn the same expression herself too. The boy wasn't angry—at least, she didn't think he was—that their scheme had been foiled. Only mildly curious as to how she saw through it.

Neither of the two boys were in a position to try again. Even if they distracted her, she wouldn't be fooled by the attempt.

Katara saw no harm in telling them. "My husband taught me a lot of things. Zuko saw to it that I'd never have to worry about certain things. Defense was one of them."

"As in…?" the teenager asked, his eyes getting as big as saucers. "Are you serious, lady?"

The little one looked up questioningly, silently inquiring who she'd just mentioned as his brother looked dumbfounded.

Was it really that uncommon of a name? She wouldn't know—the only Zuko she knew was her husband.

She thought about it, and came up with a solution. "I'll tell you about it if you let me buy you lunch."

"Deal." Both of the brothers said.

By the time she'd gotten her second refill of coffee and finished a fresh-out-of-the-oven scone, she'd fed to hungry boys and sent them off with more money than they needed. But it had been worth it. She'd hopefully be remembered in their minds as they acquired their next meals. Because there was nothing she could do for their situation, she could ease it a little.

And like she'd promised, she'd told them about how she came to know Zuko. Realizing as she spoke, she paused ever so slightly, and sighed. She missed him. It had only been a few days since she'd seen him, but she really ached to see him again.

Katara had answered several questions, but not once was she criticized. Only looked at with respect.

She downed the large styrofoam cup, but didn't bother getting another. The lines inside the buildings had gotten busier than she had the patience for at the moment. It was lunch hour rush, and she wasn't in any mood to head back in the crowded building for her personal ambrosia.

Her phone rang, the sharp lyrics making her jump. She hesitated before answering, not recognizing the number. Or the new ring tone. Suki must have messed with the older model again. The number was familiar and she had a vague suspicion. Preparing herself, she looked around, and started walking toward the nearest empty alley.

"Hello?"

"Katara," her brother said. He sounded winded. Her emotions spiked in a dangerous level as his voice calmly laughed.. "How's my little sister doing?"

"Damnit, Sokka. You know very well what's wrong. Now, hand the phone to Aang or Jet before I start plotting how I'm going to unman you."

Sokka audibly winced, and she took a glimmer of smugness of that. The noise coming from over the phone line was minor, but it was there. Was she on speaker phone?

"Yes?" Jet answered. "You called for me princess?"

No. It was too quiet for her to be on speaker phone. She could hear people talking, but it was muffled and faint.

"If anything goes wrong, I'm holding you accountable, Jet." Katara said quietly, voice shaky. "If _anything _goes wrong—"

"Why not hold Zuko responsible, Kat? He's the one in charge! This is his idea—wait. How did you even figure out where we are? Do you even know where we are?" His tone changed subtly. It was only a slight change, but she could hear the seriousness settle from the other end of the lime.

"Jet!" Katara felt her emotions faltering. She was close to crying. She couldn't lose them. There was no way she could survive if she lost her family. She'd lost her parents and her husband once. If she lost her brothers and Zuko again…..She wouldn't let go of that if they…

"I don't have long, Ice Princess. We've got to go."

_No!_ She had to tell him before he… She needed Zuko to know what he was doing. There was no way she was going to let himself go play martyr without tell him what could very well make him stay alive. And he would. Once he knew, he wouldn't run so gladly out to do whatever he was doing.

La, she was so angry. And terrified for them. Zuko was going to try to save the world, and sacrifice himself in the process. Aang was entirely with him, and Sokka was there for backup.

This was going to kill her if a single one of them died. This was stupid. They shouldn't have gone. But…where exactly had they gone?

All she knew was that she'd found a crumpled piece of paper in Sokka's truck. She had opened it, from years of habit, and scrutinized it. Sokka had never been the greatest artist, but she could understand it. Though it had taken her a while of sitting there and inept confusion, she'd finally gotten it.

It was a rough copy of instructions. The paper was covered in what could look like a game plan, but…how could it be something so simple when it had the actual written instructions in a list? La, he was so stupid…

But...without his carelessness, she would have never known. She could have lost the all without ever knowing what had happened.

Her voice crumpled, and she had to compose herself for a minute. "Promise me you'll watch out for Zuko. I need you to do that for me. You and I both know how he'll rush off with a half way thought out plan…."

There was a pause, and Katara found a clean spot of lean against the alley. Surprisingly, this alley was entirely still, but she was too absorbed in the phone call to notice the movement even if there was. "I won't lose him, Jet. I won't lose my husband again. I can't."

"You really do love him, don't you?" He questioned softly. "Now…I can't promise you—"

"Promise me, Jet. I swear if you don't promise me and at least reassure me that you're going to at least try, when you hang up, I'm going to come and find you. Then I'm going to make you tell me where he is."

"Katara!" He hushed her exasperated from the other line, and she listened for once. "Stop, Katara. I was just saying that to see what you'd do. Don't worry. I'll watch his back. You know…you didn't have to ask me to do that. I already was."

She felt some relief at this, but…

She heard a small sound, and she suddenly cocked an eyebrow. It sounded like…Aang? And when she listened harder, she could have sworn she heard cursing and…

'_Give me that, Aang! You're going to blow yourself up! Don't move! Holy crap! Where's—oh! Don't move, Jet. Aang, I want…No. I need you to hand that over, alright? Now…'_

Oh, La. Aang was doing something dangerous. Not that _that _partwasn't normal….It was Sokka yelling at him that wasn't. Her brother seldom yelled at the airbender. When he did though….

"Kat, you are so lucky you can't see this. Zuko looks absolutely horrified." Jet snickered, the serious tone disappeared, and the Jet she knew returned. Suave and charismatic. "Where's Aang's camera when you need it? This is pure entertainment here. This would look great on the front page news. Avatar and comrades, blown up with homemade invention. Nope, here's a better version. Prince of the Fire Nation and comrades, killed because a immature kid, also the Avatar, pokes something just a little too hard."

Katara let out a groan. She _really_ didn't want to know what Sokka wanted Aang to hand over to him. The less she knew at the moment, the greater a chance of not freaking out she had. It was better, for once, not being the responsible one. It was also terrifying not being able to see what was happening. She didn't know what was going on, and there was no way she could get angry if she didn't see what it was. Nor could she faint if she hadn't a clue what Aang was handling.

Oh, spirits. Her little brother could be handling a grenade, for all she might guess. And Sokka could be trying to take it from him before he pulled—

She interrupted her thoughts before she panicked. "Jet? Tell me one thing. Is Zuko okay? Does he know that it almost killed me when I found out what was going on?"

The earth kingdom man took a few seconds before answering. "You want me to hand him the phone instead of me answering that?"

"Yeah." Katara whispered, suddenly terrified more than she'd ever been in her life. "Hand him the phone."

There was a muffled sound that could only be the phone being handed off. There was another pause, and Jet's silence was interrupted by Zuko.

"Katara? Give me a minute. I'm going to walk outside so we have some privacy."

Katara heard a muted sounds, and then, all she heard was the firebender's sigh. "Zuko, please tell you're okay."

"I'm fine." He assured her, and his voice softened. "Or as fine as I'm going to be from jet lag and a sleepless night."

"No joke, dear. I understand." And she did. Katara knew exactly what he was talking of. She seemed to have experienced this just the within the last twenty-four fours.

" Just…let me hear your voice right now, okay?" Katara cradled the phone to her, relieved to hear just those words. She heard slight protest, offended annoyances from the other three. "Zuko, tell me what's going on. Don't leave me wondering. I need to know."

She imagined him sitting down like she was, and she blushed. Just how romantically sappy could she get? Not too much more, thankfully. The coffee was settling in her system. The combination of relief and fatigue had blended together.

So, he talked for a few minutes. They exchanged with each other, telling one another of happenings. Katara told him of the spa day, and announced he needed to try one. Zuko declined, saying he'd only do one if she was part of the package.

She laughed, carefully avoiding the sensitive subject that wouldn't be avoided for much longer.

He told her of how much he hated airports. That he couldn't wait to have her cooking again, because airport dining was much to be desired. He started out just with simple things following that, complained for a moment, somehow winding up questioning her brother's mental stableness.

"What else?" Cautiously, Katara rubbed a hand over her sore neck.

"I'd like to know what's been going on with you. How's everything going? Has anything happened—"Zuko suddenly paused, having just thought of something that needed absolute silence.

"I want you to know when this is all over, I'm taking you back and shutting our bedroom door." His voice became low. It sent a multitude of sensations and mental fantasies as he continued. "When the four of us get back, I expect for you to be ready for possibly the most intense intimacy you've ever had."

"And when will that be? What exactly is it that you have to do this for?" Katara just as easily demanded, eyes stormy.

"I can't just sit back and let this happen."

In frustration, Katara licked her lips. That didn't answer what she wanted to know. "What exactly is _this_? I have a basic rough sketch idea of your plan, but I don't really get most of Sokka's disorganization."

She could just see him scowling on the other line."What are _you_ talking about? I didn't hear Sokka say anything." Stating that, Zuko let out an irritated mutter. "Katara, the less you know right now the better. You have to just take my word. It's safer for everyone right now if you're left in the dark."

Strangely enough, she wasn't offended. He was right. The less she knew, the less she had to worry right now. If she had faith, she knew they'd successfully do anything they set their mind out on. They were a team. They were made up of two benders, both with exceptional skills. They had three swordsmen. All of them were in top notch shape, and had claimant over sets of skills that most people couldn't lump together much less be found in four people.

Katara changed the topic.

"I found old pictures in the attic. You were so cute as a baby! I even found some of your old things. And..." Katara tried to shake of the smile, but it crept into her tone. "I love the picture of you as a first grader."

He mockingly sounded mortified. "No! Is it the one of me and Azula?"

"That depends. Which picture are you referring to?" Katara slipped a small tattered envelope of pictures from on of her purse pockets; her thumb stroked the adorable face of a younger Zuko. "Is it when she's—" She squinted. "—Oh! I didn't see this one earlier!"

"What is it? Is Azula holding her crossed fingers behind her back?"

"No."

Zuko paused again. "Then what is it?"

Two of the pictures had stuck together, and Katara separated them slowly. The one on the back was a small photograph of an exotic woman, trying not to laugh. She wore her hair in a traditional topknot, and her eyes were the same gold as Zuko's.

Katara knew this woman. She was sure of it. She flipped it over to find the name of the person and the date it was taken. She did the math, and the time line was in the right comparison.

"Is your mom's name Ursa?" Katara asked.

"Why?" Zuko sounded surprised, but she had his attention.

She blinked, trying to draw up a recollection of this woman. "Just curious."

The woman _did _look familiar to Katara, but she wasn't sure if she'd actually seen her before. It was just one of those déjà vu feelings.

Zuko inquired softly, the noise of movement radiating almost too quietly to be heard through the phone line. She almost didn't hear the pained hiss that could have only come from Zuko. "Tell me what you're looking at." He insisted.

"A picture of her. She's beautiful."

"Thank you." Zuko quietly approved. "I wish I could tell you that she raised me right, but then again, no one knows what went wrong with Azula. We had the same parents, but we turned out completely different. I was never as good as her, and Ozai never did spare the time of day. I'm surprised I even surprised childhood with all the expectations I could never achieve like she could."

"Zuko, never be ashamed what you come from. Be proud of everything you had the privilege of. There's nothing wrong in admitting that you and your sister will never be on the same level."

"Oh, really? How so." He sounded strangely offended, and Katara realized what she'd done.

She shook her head, even though he couldn't see her."You know that's not what I meant. You're a great man, Zuko. From what you've told me of her, she'll never compare to you. Your uncle told me that the most humble of men is the strongest burning candle in a room of many. Yeah, call me cheesy, but I agree with him." She fondly thought of Iroh's smiling face, with a tea cup in hand. "I could have never asked for anyone else for a husband. I don't care if you don't see it my way, but you'll always be greater than she is."

Silence. Katara got concerned until Zuko let out a pained hiss, this time sounding like just breathing hurt.

"Katara, you don't know what that meant. But—" there was always one of those interrupting the sweetest moments, wasn't there—? "—l…I don't know how to thank you for everything."

The way he said it, it sounded like they were never going to speak again.

So Katara changed the subject. Again.

After a few more minutes, the conversation path had twisted. telling him some of her funniest moments things, she remembered something, and told him about Sokka and his first mailbox fatality. He'd had a good amount of mail boxes replaced since then. They hadn't even been his own.

"…I can still remember when Sokka got into a car completely by himself for the first time. Sokka was so proud when he backed Uncle Bato's jeep out of the drive way." She put a prideful tease in her tone as she went on. "He made it down the street and only wrecked into a handful of things."

"Agni, that's terrible." He sniggered, unsympathetically. "What were they?"

"Ms. Diu's mail box, my cousin's motorcycle, the stop sign, and a garbage can. Twice. Me and my cousin Kiro were dying when the fender of the jeep caught and he dragged the garbage can down three streets before realizing it."

Zuko laughed, a wonderful sound it was for Katara, and they gradually lapsed into another silence.

"Katara, I didn't think I'd be able to talk to you today. I…Honestly? I thought you'd be too mad at me to amend anything before something goes wrong."

Her vision blurred, and she clutched the phone with both hands. Just hearing him soothed her, and it re amped her toil of emotions. Which was…bad. She couldn't lose him. Not again. She would find them. She wouldn't let her husband complete his mission. Not alone. This number was traceable. It had to be. Besides, Suki could have it up in minutes if given the chance. The foursome couldn't be that far now.

"Don't say that." She quietly approached the inevitable subject. "Nothing is going to go wrong."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because," the waterbender thought aloud. "You never let things go without a fight, right? I believe in you, Zuko. I may not know what you and the other three are doing, but I know that you'll come back. You always have." She could safely say he never gave up. If that was all she could comfortably hold on to, then so be it.

"I love you." He suddenly admitted. "I love you so much that I can't express it. How can you have so much faith in me, when I don't know how to put it in myself?"

"I love you, too." Was her automatic response, before he could say anything more.

Zuko's voice had her craving him when he let his guard down, and she heard his fear.

"Katara, I really don't know if I will be coming back or not. Everything I have is yours." He struggled for the words, obviously not knowing how to say them. "I won't want to see my remains once Azula's done. I don't want to fail. This isn't what I wanted, but…I can't back out now."

"All I ask now is that you do your best." She felt her heart thud painfully. "Don't worry. Nothing is going to go wrong. I promise you that."

_I won't let it. I'm going to interfere and hold you back. I can't lose you, Zuko. I'm going to find you before Azula does and if you're going to do something stupid and ruin everything, I want to be there with you. I lost you once. I'm not willing to lose you again, even if you're mad at me for what happens._

Katara let her left hand drop to her middle, and she opened her sad blue eyes. Her wedding ring sparkled in a glinting way, reflecting the light that bounced off a window. Her fingers splayed over the material of her shirt, and she moved to where she could slide into a sitting position.

She didn't notice the figure walking out of the back exit of a building within hearing distance. And she most defiantly didn't see the person watch her with bored interest as she spoke.

As she pulled her knees close to her, she kept her arm wrapped around her middle. Her stomach was flat, but she could imagine the change in that in only a matter of a week or two.

Zuko wouldn't die without knowing, at least. If he was killed, than so was she. She wouldn't be able to go on like the last time. She couldn't live a half life.

Katara told him, not missing a beat.

"Zuko, I'm pregnant."

* * *

**3-5-2009  
Thursday.  
9:50somethingish PM**

Kudos to the readers that made it this far. Now... reviews are always encouragement for me to update faster! 3

Here I was, trying to edit this chapter, when I suddenly realized I only have ten weeks until my school lets out for summer. That's just roughly, I'm not really sure how much longer I have. Anyway, I got up out of the computer chair, went straight to the kitchen, and danced until my mom asked me to stop. (My failed attempt at celebration knocked over a giant stack of papers some guitar picks to the floor and into the turtle's tank—which I totally didn't notice until I'd picked up all of the stack and glanced over to that area of the room.) My poor pet turtle was panicking. My poor baby. He's probably traumatized for life because he got soggy homework paper all over him and all over his tank. The sad thing is that I have the choice of either _a)_ redoing it before second period tomorow or _b)_ explaining to my least favorite teacher that my baby turtle shredded my (waterlogged) research before I could get to him or even realize what was going on. XD  
**~heflo**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: heflo owns nothing of ATLA.**

Notes: I don't feel like editing right now. If something doesn't make sense, well...too bad. If you're confused....just use your imagination. I might get back to it later when i have the time.

* * *

Around him, mid afternoon was drawing to a close, setting the world with an ocher hue. It was amazing. Sunsets in the Fire Nation were an experience all in its self. Zuko couldn't believe he'd missed them so much.

Birds flew overhead to his left, in formal structure for migration. The old roofing tiles were bleached from the sun, though still very red. The tiling felt rough against his skin, warmed from the sun's rays. He watched contentedly as clouds colored from the brilliant setting sun stretched as far as his eyes could see. Which went on forever and beyond.

In this particular shelving of roof segment, no one from the ground would spot him. No one looking out of any random window would notice him—seeing as the direction before him was nothing but breathtaking scenery. In the distance, prehistoric, untouched forest and mountain ranges still remained. What a collective effort of his previous ancestors' way back before even his Uncle Iroh's time. Every other direction was filled with the city, large, vast and going on for miles.

Agni, he'd missed home so badly. He soaked it in. The sun, the view, the noises in the distance, and the cell phone connection with Katara. His eyes closed, and he breathed in.

"Zuko, I'm pregnant."

Golden eyes flashed. He was blinking rapidly, and he actually slumped further. Whereas he'd been just sitting against a section of sloping roofing, he was now lying on his back, disbelief written all over his features. She was _what?_ He knew he'd misheard her.

The others were camping out inside an older part of the palace. The attics, filled with many generations of his ancestors belongings and even some of his own. All the other three were waiting on was for night to fall. Until then, to pass the time, they were, concreting the plans, playing cards, and reminiscing…

Just typical stuff. Because no one was sure if they'd get out of here with their limbs, lives, or dignity.

But…had he heard that right? Zuko's eyes were wide, and he felt the color drain from his face as the corners of his mouth stretched. Of all things, Zuko was ecstatic. This had been something he'd wanted to hear. However… then the unexpected happened.

"Zuko?"

"Huh?"

"I'm pregnant." She whispered again, sounding both happy and relieved.

He was shaken from his stillness. But he was still grinning. He calmed his tone down, wondering if she could imagine how he must look with his eyes crinkled, and him smiling as if the world had just been handed to him on a silver platter. It had been. Never in his life had he felt so much love well up from him. He was going to have a true family. The love of his life was carrying his child—the future prince or princess of the Fire Nation. He was going to be a _dad!_

He was grinning like a fool, imagining what their child would look like. He could see the swell of Katara's belly in his mind. He could already see her expecting, smiling up at him. In his mind's eyes, he could see the vivid clearness of holding their child when the time came.

He could see his life after facing Azula. Imagining, Zuko could see himself and Katara arguing over who got to hold the baby. Iroh interrupted their heated argument, gently lifting the baby into his hold, cooing. Yep. He could actually see himself watching as Iroh tickled the child.

He could see a life full of happiness and definite stepping stones. He wanted that. A frown wavered over his features.

"Zuko, are you still there?" Her words were worried, and his heart warmed further.

There was now a fierce determination in his expression as his joy shrank back from his urgent need to protect. He would return alive if it killed him. Then the next thought: _He was going to be a dad! _

But he had to survive facing Azula first.

He cleared his throat. "When did you find out?"

"Yesterday, actually. Suki started to feel sick, and got a pregnancy test. Toph handed one to me, and….it was meant as a joke, but," Katara laughed nervously. "I really am expecting, Zuko. Suki, too."

He sternly inquired, internally leaping for joy. "When's the baby due?"

"If my math is right, then sometime in early summer…right around the summer solstice. Zuko, I—"

She was interrupted.

"Hang up the phone." A familiar voice demanded coolly from the line. His blood chilled. He knew the voice. He shot up to his feet, horrified. The woman's voice grew louder. "I swear….Hang up the phone or else."

"No! Hey, what are you—" Katara sounded angry as she tried to argue with the invading person. Her voice disappeared altogether as a gun's safety click was disabled.

"Zuko, you wanna know how it feels to have your heart broken?" This time, it was Mai who spoke. The woman he'd forsaken. An assassin. A whore. A power hungry lackey of Azula's. "You're going to feel every bit of pain you put me through. Then you'll finally understand what love can turn into. This woman here," she paused, a hint of morbid curiosity underlying in her tone. "She doesn't deserve you. Is this creature the reason you rejected me?"

"Katara! _Run!_" Zuko roared hoarsely into the phone, feeling the worst possible feeling sink inside, tearing with icy terror at his heart. Urgently, he grew louder. If Katara could hear him, then this was all the warning she'd get."Agni, get as far as possible from her as possible. Katara—"

That was all he had before the connection was severed. For a few seconds, he stared with disbelief at Sokka's phone. It dropped to the ground before the door had slammed behind him.

* * *

The waterbender held up her chin defiantly, staring the cool beauty in the eye. This wasn't right! Why was it that every time she said anything secretive, someone who was _not _supposed to know found out? La, this time, it was because she'd mentioned the wrong person's name, along with the wrong word phrases—at the _absolute_ worst time possible.

Zuko had taken the subject better than she'd expected. He even sounded happy for them. The relief of telling him was like taking a zebra-seal off of her shoulders. Just as she was about to tell him to just quit whatever he was doing, she hesitated, catching the glint of something out of the corner of her eye as rapid footsteps approached.

It was when the lady had snatched the phone from her hand and pointed a gun at her had she shut up.

What a beautiful woman this was. She made Katara feel ugly in comparison. Everything about her reeked of feminine perfection. From her perfect makeup and hair, to her black manicured nails. Her flawless complexion was unequal. She was slender, willowy, and several inches taller than Katara.

This was a true fire nation beauty at its best.

"What do you want?" Katara watched as the lady dropped the phone to the ground, grinding it to pieces with her sharp heel of her stilettos. Not the normal type of stilettos either. The heels were thick, made from a sturdy material. Practical and ironically useful.

Silver eyes flashed angrily up to hers, and Katara flinched. This lady was going to kill her. She knew by the murderous look upon the stunning creature's face that she wasn't bluffing. Just who was she?

"I heard him. I heard him say he loved you." The woman's voice was quiet, and tears glimmered in her cold eyes. "Zuko told you he loved you."

Katara's brows shot up. _Great._ Just how uncommon of a name did her husband have?

"Because of that, you won't get to see tomorrow's sun rise." The woman promised indifferently. She looked completely uncaring, and Katara's carefully raised her hands up in global sign of submissiveness.

This apparently, was a fire nation beauty at its worst. The woman studied the gun, gripping it firmer.

"Whoa, there!" The waterbender gulped uneasily as the woman's fingers wrapped a bit more around the trigger. She wasn't a good eyes for guns, but…she knew it wasn't just for show. "Calm down. Just because he said he loved me doesn't mean anything—"

Anger settled over the woman's perfect features, but hatred shone clean in her watery eyes as she regained her senses. Oh. So now she could show emotion?

"Shut up. Shut up! He's mine! Zuko was supposed to be _mine_, not anyone else's."

Katara's heart pulsed, and she readied herself to protect her baby. "Please, put the gun away. Now, we can talk this out—"

It didn't help. A shot rang out and a pained scream echoed throughout the ally.

* * *

The gun shot echoed throughout the nearby streets, and so did the blood curling screech. A sound broke through the crowd, and panicked alarm was apparent in the faces as they paused, looking around.

People bolted far away, but a few remained as pandemonium broke. Chaotic noise roared, and as one, crowds left the immediate area. No one wanted to be around when the police came. And the added fact of fire arms wasn't all that appealing either.

After seeing that reuniting with the waterbender wouldn't be possible for a little while, Suki took out her cell phone and dialed a friend of hers. Impatiently, Toph urged her to get food for their rumbling stomachs.

A little while later, a preppy girl emerged inside the deli they'd eaten at. Suki embraced her, and so the dreaded chatter began. From there, Toph had just ignored any sound the lady made. Such an annoying voice she had. It grated at her nerves until she just wanted to smash her fist into the lady's non stopping mouth.

She'd picked up on Katara's vibrations. Relieved and irritated, Toph muttered. "Suki, I found her. She's—"

As the piercing cry reached them, Toph's blind eyes widened. She grabbed Suki's arm as they approached the alley she'd 'seen' their friend in. The earthbender broke out into a full run, using her earth bending to aid her frantic movement. People gaped at her, and several dove out of the way as she bended. Poor fire nation people. They'd never seen an earthbender in action, by the way they froze to stare.

Toph looked ahead to what had just happened a few blocks over. She was horrified at the disturbing vibrations that rippled.

Suki yelped as she was pulled along with her, and struggled to keep up with her even with Toph's sharing of her earth bending. Suki's friend called after them, but Toph ignored her. She honestly didn't care if the cheerfully ditsy woman got left behind.

Reaching the alley, Toph stomped the cement, encasing the unknown woman's entire body from the neck down in a casing of stone. She was shrieking in anger, struggling and bewildered.

Katara was in a stance, letting go of her hold over the woman once she was certain it wasn't needed. An appalled shiver left goose bumps over her pale skin. Oh, it was worse than she expected. Sokka hadn't just been kidding when he'd told her of Katara's newly found waterbending techniques were something to brace yourself for. The vibrations were so repulsive to feel once she'd felt them for herself. Bloodbending was just unnatural and unexpected. It was even harder for her to keep a straight face when the encased woman's vibrations resettled to a normal regulation.

Katara nodded, looking weary and sickened.

"Katara, are you okay?"

Suki looked dazed when she looked at what had happened. In the bare alley, there was a bullet hole in the brick only inches above where Katara was standing. A woman was bound and trapped by one of Toph's earth casings, and a shattered cell phone was at Katara's feet. A loaded gun had fallen when Toph had trapped the fire nation woman.

And her sister-in-law had manipulated the woman's body. Sokka had told her about that. Suki hadn't believed him. Now she had no choice to admit that he was right. Sickened, her throat convulsed. She'd felt it for herself, but she hadn't been willing to admit it was true.

Toph then she noticed the secondary vibrations that the woman gave off. Toph let out a sailor's oath, walking over to retrieve the device from her ear. With a well tossed throw, Suki caught it as Toph huffed. "Suki, tell me that isn't what I think it is."

Suki's look of dread answered that. Katara couldn't recognize the device, but from Suki's look, she probably didn't want to know. Toph waited, subsequently sighing. "I'm blind, y'know. Suki, when I ask something, I have to be able to understand what's going on—"

Suki shook her head. "What happened?" Suki turned to Katara, forgetting to answer whatever Toph had been fussing at her about.

Katara explained the last ten minutes in a nutshell, and earned a glare from Gloomy—as Toph had dubbed the unpredictable woman. Gloomy was currently sulking, eyes closed, an unmoving mask of cool covering her feature. It reminded Katara of something Zuko had done when she'd first met him. He'd hide his emotions, and it had taken the longest time for Katara to figure him out. But…

"_Zuko, you wanna know how it feels to have your heart broken? You're going to feel every bit of pain you put me through. Then you'll finally understand what love can turn into. This woman here," she paused. "She doesn't deserve you. Is this_ creature_ the reason you rejected me?"_

Wait… Was this Mai? _This_ was _Mai?_ La, she was beautiful! And… Zuko had chosen _her_ over this woman? Whoa. Katara was internally stunned. That was humbling. But…why had Zuko told her to run? Oh. That's right. The woman had almost succeeded in killing her. She was an assassin. She had guns on her. And most likely other various concealed weapons.

This sent her thoughts askew as she gathered her bearings.

Toph crossed her arms over her chest. "I still want to know what's going on.

Katara dusted herself off, and was looking at the fallen woman. "What _I_ want to know," she frowned. "is how we find the guys."

Toph abruptly sent the bound woman and the evidence of her and Katara's encounter behind the nearby crates with a firm shove of her earth bending. Gloomy didn't protest, and kept quiet like a good prisoner. Suki and Katara met each other's eyes when a pink clad woman rounded the corner.

Suki smiled. Toph scowled. Katara didn't know what to do. So she faked a smile as Suki introduced Ty Lee to Katara and vice versa. Katara was wondering how the lady's cheeks didn't hurt.

"Katara, this is my old friend from summer camp way back." She nodded to Ty lee, looking to Katara. "This is Katara," Suki motioned to the waterbender, looking back to Ty Lee. "I told you about her. She's my sister-in-law."

"Good Lord!" Toph groaned as she rubbed her cheek, uncaring if Ty Lee heard. She wouldn't understand anyway. Her small brain wouldn't comprehend anything, so there wasn't much lost if she overheard much. "Katara, why is it you're the only person that gets to experience everything good when the rest of us miss out?"

Katara looked startled. "You call a near death experience good?"

"No, not that." Toph face palmed. "I meant being able to be a real life Puppet master. Remember the old ghost story? You just pulled what that evil old woman did. Wasn't her name Hama?" She tucked her short hair behind her ear, having forgotten her hair band somewhere. Silver piercings glinted, and Katara winced. Not only at the comparison, but at the new additions of Toph's ear piercings. Those hadn't been there when they'd gotten separated a few hours ago. Katara counted, and was grateful that she herself only had two in each ear. Her fear of needles took care of that.

Suki nudged the shattered cell phone with the toe of her shoe. Toph had missed clearing that, and frowning, she gingerly pushed it around a bit. "It's going to sound stupid, but…" Ty Lee had glanced up at this, curious. "I'm sorta wondering. Katara, did she purposely miss?"

Ty Lee cocked her head in question, still quiet. Katara shook her head, and gave her the look that said she'd tell her later. The four of them were taking the first step towards exiting the alley when Gloomy called out in a bored tone. "Because, you stupid low life. There are some things that are worse than revenge."

Ty Lee looked around, recognition in her chocolate eyes. "Mai? What are you doing here? Wait," she frowned, looking confused. "where are you?"

"Huh?" Now it was Suki and Toph who both looked confused.

Katara's eyes widened, suddenly wary. Uncomfortably, she readjusted the strap to her messenger bag. She answered the woman's words, "And what would that be?"

Ty Lee's eyes lit up, and a comprehending look flashed over her face. "I think she's referring to—"

Applause filled the air, and a person dropped from the roof of a nearby dwelling.

"—Princess Azula!" The brunette acrobat jumped to her feet, curtsying. She cast her eyes downcast, smiling. "You look as wonderful as ever! Gosh, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back at the palace exterminating Zuko like you told me you were doing? Oh! So _that's_ why you told me to keep Mai on the pretend mission! I get it! You're so clever, 'Zula." She stood up as the Princess nodded in approval.

That earned the bubbly acrobat as pissed look from Gloomy, but otherwise, her ditsy mind didn't comprehend what she'd said aloud until a moment later. She offered an apologetic look in which the dark haired assassin ignored, glaring back at Katara when she found her stashed behind the crates. If looks would most certainly kill in a fictional book, Mai's hate filled stare would be a prime example.

Katara's horrified look was comical as she met golden eyes, recognizing the woman. They were so similar to Zuko's. Only the Princess's were a deeper shade of amber, almost cat like in appearance. The hair was the same shade, just as thick and healthy. Azula's clothing was orderly, high end expensive, and tailored to the wealthiest perfection.

By memory, she compared the siblings. One could easily tell what extraordinary genes their family had in order to create children as they had. Azula was just as beautiful as Zuko was handsome. The way Zuko had described her, she was as twisted and internally evil as he was honorable and good.

The waterbender knew the irony of this was only just unfolding. The chance of her dying before she saw Zuko was greater right now then they had of escaping. She and her friends couldn't possibly get away. Even an optimistic person would understand that.

Suki and Toph must have sensed the same thing, because they scooted closer to Katara, until their elbows touched hers. The three of them were close enough to understand the other's reactions. If her expression and vibrations was all needed to understand what was racing through her mind, then they knew exactly what she must be feeling. She could see their uneasiness, and she suddenly wished to be anywhere but here.

Toph whispered to Suki, casually slipping into a stance as Dai Li agents dropped from the roofs and poured from both ends of the ally way, blocking of escape. "Suki, before you made friends with anyone, make sure you do a background check, hm?"

Toph's casing on Gloomy was released as shady earth benders surrounded the three fire nation woman, backing them up as the semicircle of people closed around Katara, Suki, and Toph. They used that minute to retaliate and shake off any feelings of bewilderment.

In that half moment, Katara felt the extreme need to both fight and protect her baby. She also felt the urging sentiment to get her friends out of here and to safety. The contradiction of both extremes had her adrenaline rushing as she realized the potential danger. If everything Zuko had told her of his childhood wasn't enough, then she was about to find out firsthand everything he'd told her of the firebending prodigy.

The humidity of the capitol wasn't anything like the Foggy Swamp. But at that moment, it seemed stifling as the Dai Li assembled. They all looked similar to her. To the scars on their tanned skin, to their black uniform clothing and rough looks.

Suki made use of a nearby pipe, lightly stepping into a stance. Her chic clothes were restricting, so she unbuttoned the top few buttons of her blouse, and shoved her sunglasses in her pants pocket. Her eyes narrowed, looking for any weaknesses. It was obvious of her display that she wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty. The former Kyoshi leader was still very well conditioned despite her time away from her rigorous training. Years of everyday practice was clear as she lightly rose to the balls of her feet in silence .Toph was ready and waiting, blind eyes closed as she listened patiently. Her hair fell in her face, undoubtedly making her look unprepared. She was everything but that as she cocked her head slightly to one side, feet bare and dusty.

"What do we have here, girls?" The princess's honey coated voice chilled Katara, angering her at the same time.

It was Mai that answered. "One's a Kyoshi warrior. Not sure about the short one, but—"

It irked Toph to no end being call short. Her nostrils flared and she flicked her hair away from her face, showing anyone close enough her sightless eyes. Some of the Dai Li agents flinched, thinking of the fate of a blind, _supposedly,_ helpless woman.

In displeasure, she softened her voice, using their pity to her full advantage. "Hey, I'm_ not_ that short. I prefer fun sized, thank you very much!"

Azula smiled sympathetically. "Oh. The small one is blind. How delightful. A sardonic cripple."

That did it. Toph rose to the bait, and Katara grabbed her arm before she did anything stupid. The waterbender could feel the irritation rolling off the blind earthbender as she jerked her arm back. At least she didn't start anything yet. Toph silently bristled, her scowl heavy as she held back. Katara was surprised. Toph normally never listened to her. Nor did she underplay her abilities.

"She's an earthbender, Princess." Mai stated. "Don't underestimate her. The Dai Le are going to need their metal handcuffs for her.

Which made the waterbender's dread claw unrelentlessly inside of her.

"Then who's the one in the middle?" The princess glanced down at her nails, uninterested.

Mai got quiet. Ty Lee shrugged, stretching a little bit.

"Well?' Azula demanded impatiently.

"She's Zuko's lover."

That stopped Azula immediately, and her eyes widened comically as she gave Katara a once over.

"You're joking right?" Azula scoffed. "She a filthy peasent form the watertribe! My brother has higher standards than that."

"Azula, she's…." Mai cast her gaze downward. "That woman…she can manipulate the body."

"She's an acupresurit too?" Ty Lee's eyes held respect for Katara, and she gave the waterbender a joyful look. "Hey, maybe we can talk on the way over—"

"Not like that. She controlled my body. I couldn't move."

It got quiet. The Dai Li agents were stoic, unwavering. Ty Lee frowned, and Azula laughed.

"So she's Zuko lover and some sort of human puppet master? How delightful!"

Katara's jaw locked as she swallowed. This wasn't going to end well. They weren't going to win this fight. How could they? Thirty against three? They didn't have a chance.

But…

Katara knew her two friends would follow her lead. She dropped her stance, and submitted, making herself look as defeated as possible. Stone shackles bruised her wrists as Toph and Suki flinched. Eventually, they were shackled too. Suki in stone confinements, and Toph in standard police handcuffs, though the metal was too big and left wiggle room.

Thank La Mai had kept it to herself that Zuko's child was inside of her. For that, she was grateful. Then again, Katara didn't know the woman's intentions. Roughly, the Dai Li shoved her, repulsion of their expressions. Azula ordered that the three of them be separated. Mai would deal with Suki, and Ty Lee would ride with Toph. Toph looked defeated, dismay contorting her features.

"You've got to be kidding me. Let Gloomy take me. Please! Don't make me ride back with Mrs. Sunshine. Anything but that. Hey, don't close the door! No, don't leave me—"

The vehicle that contained a yelling blind earthbender and the pink clad optimist rolled away from the local restaurant parking lot.

Katara watched as it disappeared out of sight. No. Soon, she'd be left alone without either of her backup. But she submitted, knowing that Suki's inquiring look was upset. Katara made eyes contact with Suki before they were separated again. Every apology was poured into her gaze, and Suki nodded. She offered a small smile, but it faltered. _La, please don't fight. Not yet._ Katara thought. _Wait until the timing's right._

All she could hope was that Suki understood. The limousine door closed, trapping her inside with the Princess, separated from help of any form. Her friends were in two separate vehicles, leaving her alone. With the firebending prodigy that had tried numerous times to wipe Zuko from the face of existence.

Azula showed her displeasure, looking down to her sharp nails. "So…how is my brother?"

Katara didn't answer. Zuko had warned her what not to do with Azula. Playing her game was one of the top. Desperately, she prayed, silent. She kept her eyes empty, and hoped to make it out of her alive.

Azula raised a slender brow. "What? Are you mute? Answer me!"

And so the ride back to the palace begun.

* * *

**March the 14, 2009. 3:04 PM**

Gah. I know. It sucks. I'm sorry. Don't bash, please. I think I'm having a writer's block. Again. It'll clear up soon, I promise. Just let me take some anti-writer's block suppliments. -heflo


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA.**

* * *

April 3rd, 2009.

This notice is for reader or fans of this story. As of now, this is a discontinued story. I will no longer be the author for reasons some of you may take offense to. And since you've gotten this far, I humbly ask that you read until the end.

Honestly—what kind of person have you probably imagined to have written these stories? Take a moment, and then compare to the truth. I'm not the person that you'd expect to write thousands and thousands of words in the manner I have. You probably think I'm in collage, and that I'm some bookwormish type that hides behind her glasses and has her nose either in her books or researching everything. Or sitting in a fancy coffee lounge, with her fingers poised over a sleek laptop that lives to write.

Think again.

I'm five foot five. I'm not that pretty and I'm fighting to lose weight. My eyesight could be better, and my hair is thickly coarse. I do go to school—from eight to three. I play guitar. I'm learning piano. I sing. I cook for pleasure as well as duty. I love to learn. I love to walk around in store and just see what they have to offer. I can fill sketch books with scenery sketches that I try not to show people—I'm on deviantart, people. I'm a martial artist that is on temporary leave for an old injury. I used to be a dancer. I used to ride horses. I lug around my camera everywhere. As of recently, I'm a vegetarian. I'm trying to sway my parents towards living a bit greener, but it's taking much more effort than expected. I'm too mature for my age. I look almost eight+ years older than I actually am. I'm a coffee addict. I'm a former fatso. I'm the den mother for several of my friends. (Example: I'm basically their diary, their reliable comfort and encourager, and the one they can trust to take care of them.) I'm the responsible sensible person that almost always has a person depending on her to do something. And I'm dealing with so much baggage that no potential boyfriend would ever consider me.

I'm just like anyone else. Don't think otherwise. As I wrote this, I was smacking away on a piece of mint gum, with a homemade face mask slathered over my face. I'm not in collage, and I've only been to a coffee lounge once. If you've built me up to this great authoress, I'm sorry to have mislead you in this manner.

Here's what none of you ever never asked me. How old are you? My take is that you just assumed with my vocabulary and the outline of my story automatically made me older, right? The truth is that I'm fourteen years old.

I _know_ you didn't see that coming.

Go ahead, roll you eyes.

Just keep you promise to read until the very last word.

When I first started A Disaster in the Making, I never expected but one or two people to read. With the help and support of my best friend, I wrote thousands and thousands of words, while she edited it and added some of her personal touches. And for the while, I had a wonderful time. Eventually, when she stopped editing around chapter seven and we stopped staying in contact, my frustration became obvious in my writings that I couldn't really have someone to confide personal things with. She may have edited once or twice after that, but she basically retired from dealing with these stories. And I don't blame her. You could probably tell that I had complications in my life at the time, and that my updates were like a diary entry at some points.

By the time I had a few chapters up; I was amazed to see that I had gone from a few dozen hits to a few hundred. Then I started There's Always Something as a way to relieve my urge to write while taking a break from ADITM. More people started reading my writing. Hundreds turned to a thousand. After that, I lost count and decided not to let that get to me. I never realized how many people read my stuff and what I may have put in here to influence someone in a way I shouldn't have. I still don't know how many people total have seen something I've written. I probably won't ever know.

And _then_ I started my third Zutara fic, Everyday Life with my new roommate, Zuko. For a time, I enjoyed writing for you readers. I enjoyed being rebellious and spending my time writing and not doing the things I should have been seeing to. Then something happened in my life. The way I can describe it is like this: you know how a stone is dropped into still waters and it has a rippling affect? Instead of it being just a small pebble, imagine a small pond having a huge meteor filled with earthly riches smash into its murky water.

Is that an indicator of what changed me?

If not, keep reading and don't stop until the end. Remember: you did promise.

You're probably wondering why the next chapter hasn't started by now, haven't you? So here it is—the thing that will hit home with some of you. There won't be one. Not from me, anyway. Now that I've decided not to finish ADITM or my other stories, I understand that many of you may want to go ahead and imagine an ending, all the while hating me from even writing anything. Go ahead. You have my full permission—but, take notice why I won't continue what I've started. Go ahead and find out why I won't continue something twisted into a thing I won't touch.

What was your guess as to what that rock was that disturbed my lukewarm life? That fired me up, and changed my ways. Imagine that rock filled—no, thoroughly veined and studded with precious gems and valuable stones. Imagine rock to be a complete lump of precious metals so large that it didn't just have a rippling effect in the water—it completely cleaned that pond out. It renewed every disgusting drop of water in that once polluted body of water with a pure, clean liquid that healed the damage wrought. Even the surrounding area is touched by this change. You can tell by the good things coming and flourishing by this impact.

In the Bible, one can find salvation through Jesus Christ. You learn that he isn't that stiff, unblinking, actor—or just so removed from us that he isn't real. He isn't what some movies have made him out to be. My Lord is someone that loves you for who you are. He knows your name. He knows your heart. He has gone through every hardship you've ever faced, and understands that its your choice whether to accept him or not.

I go to a sheltered Christian School, and attend classes where Jesus is openly talked about in every subject. And for a while, I grew tired of hearing over and over, constantly just a tidbit of the same things. I'd grown up hearing this everyday, and somehow missed the verything that was so simple to see. I got sick of hearing something that thousands of people would give everything they had to hear. I became cold and lukewarm, letting the words I heard slid off of me. So I started writing colorful, inappropriate tales that I regret ever even imagining.

Eventually, I became empty. I became so depressed I used to cut my wrists, and binge and purge. My problems became worse as I immersed myself in things I should have never taken the first step towards. I drew further and further into things I was slowly poisoning myself with.

And then…

I heard something that changed my life. Look up the Father's Love Letter on youtube. Please listen to it. Some of you will turn away, already knowing that you've rejected the truth once. A few of you will be indifferent, and most likely, will just close this window before going on with life. Others of you may be curious. Go ahead and let your curiosity get the better of you. It changed my life, and maybe it'll change yours too.

When I accepted Jesus into my life, my problems disappeared. Once my life was impacted, and like the pond I described, I could feel healing. I'm a new person. Though there are still trials, I'm not alone. My maker and my Lord is with me with everything I do. He can be your best friend. He'll be your comfort in your time of need. He can be your protector and even turn your life around like he did with millions before you. Walk in fellowship with the Almighty Creator, and forge a relationship with him like no other person you've ever know. Let him meet your needs, and make no compromise when it comes to Him.

You don't have to be alone anymore. You don't have to suffer your hardships by yourself. Let your heavy burdens go, and humbly acknowledge God. He will fill you with that peace you always searched for. He will watch you and be with you to all the ends of the Earth. And when your face challenges, let him be your guidance and strong fortress.

I'm sorry I ever began writing such inappropriate things. I'm sorry to have filled your mind with sinful thoughts. And I'm most sorry to have had so many people read discouraging things that Jesus wouldn't approve of.

Your humble sister in Christ,  
(a.k.a. heflo)  
Heather

**Romans: Chapter 10 verse 9-10-13**  
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,  
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him  
from the dead, thou shalt be Saved. For with the heart man  
believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession  
is made unto Salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the  
name of the Lord shall be Saved....................

God bless you. I pray that he touches you and molds you like he did me. And may you find comfort in him. Let him fill your aches with his compassion and his acceptance for who you are. Tell him your troubles. Confide in his mercy, and know that he can and _will _accept you even after everything you've done. Once you've been washed in Jesus' blood, you're forgiven in God's eyes. Nothing you did before you've made fellowship with your maker will matter once you sincerely repent. If you're ready, then say this prayer out loud. But only if you're ready to repent and truly believe what you're committing your self to.

Heavenly Father:  
I come to you in prayer asking for the forgiveness of  
my Sins. I confess with my mouth and believe with my  
heart that Jesus is your Son, And that he died on the  
Cross at Calvary that I might be forgiven and have  
Eternal Life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Father, I believe  
that Jesus rose from the dead and I ask you right now  
to come in to my life and be my personal Lord and  
Savior. I repent of my Sins and will Worship you all the  
day's of my Life!. Because your word is truth, I confess  
with my mouth that I am Born Again and Cleansed  
by the Blood of Jesus! In Jesus Name, _Amen._


	23. Chapter 23

Dear readers,

After having mulled over this for a while, I've made up my mind. If you get angry with me, too bad. I've come to a final decision.

I, Heather, give my dear friend—who's username is Eralynn—full permission to continue on with my works. She and I decided, and yes, this is the actual truth, that THE STORY WILL GO ON. After this is posted, I can promise you one thing. I deleated all my plots, and will have made my account unlockable - that way, I will never be able to get back on under this user name. Eralynn is now the sole writer of whatever she can manage to salvage of whatever I wrote. And if you support her, then go ahead and cheer her on, that way the updates will be steady. She has free reign over anything she chooses, and will not accept being bashed by anyone for what she will do, least they want to see any continuation. She's decided to take responsibility, and will contribute with whatever she can, seeing as she also has a long daily to-do list. Besides, if I trust her with my previous time-consumers, then you should like what she's got in store for you.

If you thought I had a gift of writing, then you've seen _nothing._ This girl can_ really_ spin a tale and weave stories in a person's imagination. As in, I was the pupil, and she was my tutor. And fortunately, I was never capable of surpassing her never-ending well of creativity. :D

Your sister in Christ.  
Heather (A.K.A. heflo)

1 Timothy 4:12 ~  
Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in faith, in word, in conduct, in love, and in purity.


End file.
